The Last Pokéshifter
by Le Fez-Wearing Husky
Summary: Once in a blue moon in the Pokémon world, a child is born with the ability to shift between a Pokémon and a human form. They are known as Pokéshifters. Sounds pretty cool, right? You bet it is… but it comes with a drawback. Luci, a young Pokéshifter, is an outcast; alone and constantly on the run. Until she meets another four Pokéshifters, that is…
1. Chapter 1: Flight Through The Forest

**First things first, thank you one and all for taking an interest in this story of mine.~ I hope you enjoy it! But I'll just clarify some things about this story first, as they wouldn't fit into the description...**

**This story is set in the Pokémon gameverse, but it is effectively an AU in which there live beings that are part-human, part-Pokémon (Pokéshifters, if you haven't already guessed from the title), and they are largely unbeknownst to the human and Pokémon populations of the universe. The story centres around characters that are OCs made up by me, though there are a few that are made up by readers of the original story. I'll leave tributes to the creators of such characters at the end of the chapters in which they are introduced.**

**Of course, some canon characters may make a few appearances as well.~ I definitely don't own those ones, nor do I own the rest of the franchise; I'm just a fangirl like any other who is content writing her weird stories.**

**If you insist, I'll give you some warnings. This story is rated T mainly for violence and a few swear words here and there. There is also the distinct possibility of BoyxBoy (yaoi) and GirlxGirl (yuri) romance in later chapters. Don't like it? Either don't read or deal with it.**

**Oh, and one more thing. The earlier chapters of this story are more than two years old, so I apologise if they are lacking in quality. Of course, reviews for any chapter are most welcome.~ Positive, negative, critical - I don't mind.~**

**This story was originally published on Quotev, and can also be found here: story/2755536/The-Last-Pokéshifter/1/**

**And, without further ado, let us begin!~**

* * *

**Chapter One: Flight Through The Forest**

**_ALL WAS SILENT_** **in the** depths of Eterna Forest. No leaves rustled, no Pokémon shuffled, no water rippled. It was as if the forest itself was holding its breath.

A pair of amber eyes peeked out of a hollow log, obscured slightly by hastily arranged, moss-covered branches. The amber eyes narrowed as they gazed out at the silent world around them. _Too silent…_

Suddenly, the silence was broken by what could only be a gunshot, making the young girl with the amber eyes and bluish-black hair jump so violently the branches around her hideout fell with a large clatter.

"There she is!" a cry pierced the air. Luci knew she only had seconds. Leaping out of her hideout, she ran as fast as she could, deeper and deeper into the forest, until she reached a large ditch, where a stream had probably once been. Diving into and flattening herself on the floor of the ditch, Luci squeezed her eyes shut in concentration as the metamorphosis began.

Her teeth elongated and sharpened, becoming canine, and triangular, dark blue ears sprouted from the top of her head. Her nose elongated into a snout, and her hair was replaced by blue fur, apart from on her chest, where it became a pale yellow colour. Her clothes disappeared, apart from her shorts, which became dark blue and morphed to fit her changing frame. An L-shaped tail grew from her bottom and her hands and feet became black paws. Finally, two silvery-white spikes grew from the back of her paws, and another one from her chest.

Luci got up, no longer a human, but a Pokémon. A Lucario, to be exact.

Luci surveyed her surroundings with eyes twice as keen as her human form's. Another special thing was that these eyes could see Aura, the mystical force given off by all living things. She could also sense Aura without using her eyes - but her Aura perception was not perfect, not yet. Luci dimly felt the presence of her pursuers, but they seemed a long way off - about a mile. Seemed like she'd lost them, for now.

Luci leaped out of the ditch, landing nimbly on her supple feet. She felt the Aura of an Eevee nearby. Eevee were generally good with directions, and in her Pokémon form, Luci could talk with almost all Pokémon. Perhaps this Eevee could tell her the way out of this forest.

Luci casually walked over to where the Aura seemed to be emanating from-a large Sitrus Berry bush. As she drew closer, Luci heard lots of muffled munching noises from inside.

_"__Hey, Eevee, come on out," _Luci muttered in Pokémon-language. _"I just want to talk to you."_

At that precise moment, something which was most definitely _not _an Eevee leaped out happily, yelling, _"HIYA!"_

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-WAAH!" exclaimed Luci, staggering backwards in shock, tripping over a branch, and landing hard on her bum.

A Flareon with a ridiculously wide grin on its face was looking intently at Luci out of chestnut-brown eyes. _"Heyyyy there, Lucario!"_

Luci sighed. _Oh well. Easy mistake to make, after all. All the Eeveelutions have similar Aura signature patterns._ But Luci frowned. There was something very strange about this Flareon's Aura. She was just trying to put her paw on it when she suddenly realised something so obvious she could've smacked herself in the face. _Flareon are Fire Types, they don't live in forests!_

After that revelation, a number of possibilities occurred to Luci. Perhaps this was a Trainer's Pokémon which had somehow gotten lost in the forest. Or maybe, just maybe, this was one of her pursuer's Pokémon, sent to track her down…

Only one way to find out. _"What are you doing out here in the forest, alone?"_

The Flareon laughed. _"I ain't alone. Besides, if you really wanna know, I was just eating. That's all." _It then turned back to the Sitrus Berry bush and continued munching.

Luci's temper snapped. She grabbed the Pokémon by its furry, cream-coloured tail, brought it up to her face and yelled, _"You'll tell me why you're here! And if you're not alone, then who's with you?"_

The Flareon was surprisingly unreactive. A half-eaten Sitrus Berry dangled from its mouth as it replied, _"Keep your tail on! I already told you why I'm here! And I'm just here with my friends, is all."_

Luci sighed and unceremoniously dumped the Flareon on the ground. Reading its Aura, Luci could not distinguish any signs of lying. Usually it was obvious. It still bothered her, though; what was a random Flareon doing without a Trainer in the middle of Eterna Forest?

She took a look back at the Flareon. It had returned to picking that bush clean as if nothing had happened. She had to admit, that Flareon was a weird Pokémon.

As Luci turned to leave, something hit her in the back so hard she was pitched forward, her face colliding with hard-packed earth. _That Flareon!_

Luci attempted to get up so she could give this Flareon a piece of her mind. But it was like she was pinned to the ground by some invisible force. _An invisible force?_ Luci's eyes widened as another bout of Psychic energy slammed into her, knocking all the breath out of her body.

"Grumpig, just keep using Psychic," muttered a human voice. "And whatever you do, don't let her get away."

_"__Yes, sir," _the Grumpig replied.

Luci dimly felt the Aura of her pursuers and their Pokémon closing in around her. Trapped under that Grumpig's Psychic, there didn't seem to be a way out.

But Luci had forgotten the Flareon.

A sudden yelp pierced the air, which could only have come from the Grumpig. At the same time, the Psychic's hold was released, and Luci could move again. But she wasn't out of the woods yet.

A Mightyena leapt out, fast as lightning, baring its teeth as it was about to use Crunch. Luci swiftly somersaulted backwards, aiming an Aura Sphere at the Mightyena. The Mightyena tried fruitlessly to dodge, but he really should've known that an Aura Sphere always hits its mark. The Mightyena sprawled unconscious onto its Trainer, knocking him down as well.

Luci took a glance over at the Flareon, who was swiftly aiming Flamethrowers and Shadow Balls at the oncoming Trainers and Pokémon, but more just kept coming.

Just as Luci thought they were going to win, she felt another Psychic, this time much stronger, lock her in place. She also felt a hard object being pressed up against her head, and instantly knew what it was.

"Pokéshifter," rasped the human, "you're coming with us, or we're killing this pathetic Flareon."

Luci looked up as far as the Psychic would allow her. Another human held the Flareon tightly in an iron grip, his Empoleon poised to attack beside him. The other humans and their Pokémon which had not been knocked out had formed around them in a tight circle. _Now_ there was no getting out.

_Well, there's no point in an innocent Pokémon dying because of me. They'll eventually get me anyway,_ Luci thought as she slowly changed back to her human form-blue fur becoming black hair, snout becoming a nose, paws becoming hands and feet. "Alright, you can have me. Just put the Flareon down."

The man holding the Flareon grinned as he unceremoniously dumped his charge on the ground. "Alright then, Pokéshifter, you come with us. And don't try anything funny, or Alakazam will keep you in check." Luci felt her hands being cuffed behind her as the Alakazam's Psychic lifted.

_Guess this is it._

Suddenly a huge gale blasted through the area, so strong it was a struggle to stay standing. The wind whipped around Luci so fast everything around her was a blur of colours which could've been anything. And there were leaves blowing in the wind. Leaves everywhere.

Luci could eventually hold on no longer as the wind blasted her backwards into a tree. She struggled to stay conscious, but it was useless. The last thing she saw before she blacked out were two faces looking down intently at her.


	2. Chapter 2: Meet The Pokeshifter Squad!

**Chapter Two: Meet The Pokeshifter Squad!**

**_LUCI GROANED LOUDLY_** **as her** eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the light filtering down through the forest canopy. _A forest canopy__. _Well, at least that meant she hadn't been kidnapped, or rather, Pokéshifternapped, by those humans. If she had, she'd have most likely woken up cuffed to a bed in a reinforced cage in a lab.

Luci slowly got up, stretching her limbs, and gave out a long yawn. She gazed around at her surroundings. She was in a lush grove full of Berry bushes, tall trees and many small forest Pokémon. If Luci wasn't so busy wondering where the heck she was, she would've probably marvelled at the beauty of the place.

Luci wandered round the side of a large oak tree and found herself on the lip of a small depression. The remains of a large campfire lay in the centre, and ringing that were four large camouflaged tents. The place seemed deserted.

Cautiously Luci stepped into the depression and into the tiny camp. "Hello?" she called, trying to mask the fear and doubt in her voice. "Is anybody-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a flash of red came out of the nearest tent and collided with Luci, pinning her to the ground. "You're awake!" an oddly familiar girl with a grin as wide as a pancake yelled.

"Get off me!" Luci growled, pushing her off. As she got up, she took a good look at the girl. Her mouth was set in a crazy grin, her eyes a weirdly familiar chestnut colour. Her messy red-orange hair reached her shoulders. She was wearing an orange sleeveless tank top and red jeans, plus white trainers with a flame pattern down the sides. Around her waist hung a golden-coloured belt, glinting brightly in the sun. A pair of sunglasses were propped up on her head, and a red neckerchief was tied around her neck.

The girl just laughed. "Sorry! I often do that. But I was kinda worried about you. You'd been out cold for almost half a day." She then lowered her voice to a whisper to say, "I really think Boss should go a bit easier when she's using Leaf Storm, though. It's like she goes completely mental!"

"Excuse me, Flara, but what was that about me going mental whenever I use Leaf Storm?" questioned a new voice.

Sweat-dropping, Flara turned around to face the new arrival. Luci did not need to read her Aura to know that she seemed to exert a sense of authority-there was no doubt that this girl was the leader around here.

She had chocolate coloured skin and her likewise coloured curly hair fell down almost to her bright, grass-green eyes. She was wearing camo shorts and jacket, with sandals and a dark green shirt patterned with leaves. She turned towards Luci. "You're awake!" She sighed. "Thank Arceus, I was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"That's rich, coming from the one who knocked her out in the first place," muttered Flara.

"Okay, so maybe my aim is a little off sometimes. But it happens. Especially with a move like Leaf Storm." The new girl sighed, and turned back to Luci. "Sorry for knocking you out yesterday… I meant to hit those humans. But I think we should talk about this in private." She glanced at Flara.

Flara made a fart noise as she moved off back to her tent. "Fine."

The other girl laughed. "She's second oldest, but the most immature of us by far," she chuckled.

Luci looked at her. "There are more of you?"

"Yeah… we kind of have our own little squad. There are four of us."

Suddenly something clicked in Luci's brain. Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? That girl, Flara, had said something about this girl using Leaf Storm. At first she had thought that they were all Pokémon Trainers, which of course could've been possible, but no. And Flara… Flara looked weirdly like the Flareon from yesterday…

"Two others… like you and Flara?"

The other girl glanced at her knowingly. "Yup. Like me, and Flara, and you, as well."

"But… how's that possible!?" Luci blurted. "I was sure I was the only one left! How can there be any more? I thought all but me had been either killed or captured!"

The girl nodded. "That's what I thought too. I was pretty sure I was the last Pokéshifter. But it turns out I'm not. The Pokéshifters aren't dead. They're just in hiding."

Luci was silent for a moment, before saying, "What's your name? We didn't ask each other that."

"Oh yeah! Sorry 'bout that. I'm Leone, a Torterra Pokéshifter. And you?" she asked, sitting down on a moss-covered stump.

Luci took a seat opposite Leone on one of the logs arranged around the campfire. "Luci. I'm a Lucario Pokéshifter."

Leone smiled. "I know. I saw you change."

"Well, Leone, how'd you end up here?"

Leone shrugged. "Long story."

Luci had heard that phrase enough times to know it was just code for "I don't really want to talk about it." So she changed the subject.

"Who are the other two Pokéshifters, then?"

Leone glanced at the sun, which was high in the sky and just beginning to dip down towards the west. "It's almost lunchtime. I'll introduce you to them then. In the meantime, can you tell me your story?"

"M-my story?" Luci glanced at her. "Isn't that a bit personal?"

Leone sighed. "Luci, I need to know. You don't have to tell me everything. Just tell me who those freaky humans that were chasing you were. Because I need to know."

Leone hadn't said it harshly, but Luci knew that the last part of her sentence was an order. "Well, I'm not sure myself. I know they're part of an organisation which runs experiments on and exploits Pokéshifters covertly. I'm pretty sure they want to use our powers for something. I have no idea what, though."

Leone sighed. "It's just as I feared. Do you know the name of this organisation?"

Luci thought. Every time she'd encountered them, she hadn't heard anything about the actual name of their organisation. Except…

_"__Hello, Miss Strider. We're from Genmi Inc., and we're here to talk about your daughter, Luci Strider."_

Luci had no idea where that memory had come from. It was from a day, long ago, almost in another lifetime - the day her old life got smashed, burned and obliterated into dust. A very different Luci it was who first heard those words than was the one who was recalling them now.

"I think… it's called Genmi. Genmi Incorporated."

Leone slapped a hand to her forehead and swore. "Great. So now those guys are back. I knew it. I knew…" She sighed. "Whatever, we'll deal with this later. Don't breathe a word about Genmi Inc. to any of the others, please." And with that, she got up and ran back to her tent.

"Well, that made a whole lot of sense," Luci sighed, as she got off the log, lay on the grass and closed her eyes. _Might as well sleep until lunchtime._

* * *

After a weird dream about several Rhyperior dancing randomly in bright purple tutus, Luci opened her eyes to find Flara once again staring at her with a massive grin on her face. "Geddup, sleepyhead! It's lunchtime!"

Luci rubbed her eyes as she sat up. It only seemed like five seconds ago when she'd lain down on the grass to go to sleep.

Leone and two new people, who Luci realised must be the two other Pokéshifters, were sitting on the logs arranged around the campfire, which was now burning brightly. A pot of baked beans was suspended over it, cooking.

"Just go over and wait," Flara told her. "I'm on cooking duty today, and yeah, it sucks, but it's almost ready anyway."

Luci nodded, and got up, walking over to the other Pokéshifters. Both of them were boys. One had sky-blue hair and wore matching glasses over his chestnut-brown eyes. Apart from the hair, he was very similar-looking to Flara in terms of face shape and eye colour. He was wearing plain jeans, a turquoise scarf and a thick jacket, but despite the warmth from the campfire, he seemed to be shivering.

The other guy had a thoughtful expression on and seemed to be staring intently into space. His silvery hair had a few black streaks down the side, and his violet eyes gazed intently forward as if there was something there no one else could see but him. His dark jeans and black jacket didn't seem to have any noticeable creases.

Leone shuffled over and joined them as Luci sat down. "Hey guys, this is Luci, the Lucario Pokéshifter me and Flara found yesterday. Luci, this is Haku," she said, pointing at the silver-haired boy, "and Frinos." She gestured at the other, with the sky-blue hair.

"Hey," greeted Frinos, but Haku said nothing; he just looked in Luci's direction.

Luci felt very awkward as she struggled to find something to say. "Uh, so… what kind of Pokémon do you two change into?"

Frinos looked as if he was about to answer, but Haku interrupted him. "Why don't you guess?"

Haku peered at Luci intently out of his purple eyes. "Um, alright," she said, and turned towards Frinos. "Are… you an Ice Type by any chance?"

Frinos smiled. "Yup!"

Luci took a quick glance at Flara, and decided there was no way these two couldn't be related. "Glaceon, then?"

"Aw, man, you got me! But try guessing Haku. You'd be in for a real challenge then," said Frinos.

"Alright then. Challenge accepted." She leaned towards Haku. "Well, I reckon you're either a Dark, Steel, or Ghost Type."

"It is true I am one of those," answered Haku.

"So… Gengar?"

"Nope."

"Mightyena maybe?"

"No way."

"Skarmory? Steelix? Weavile?"

"Nope, nope, and nope," Haku said, keeping his poker face on.

Luci thought. "Vullaby? Or Mandibuzz?"

Haku shook his head slowly.

"Why can't you just tell me?" Luci groaned.

Frinos and Leone laughed. "Haku loves puzzles and guessing games," explained Frinos. "You can always count on him making every single little thing into a game of guesswork."

"Can I at least have a clue?" pleaded Luci.

"Alright," said Haku smoothly. "My spirit Pokémon is often misunderstood."

"Misunderstood…? Darkrai?"

"No."

Luci wracked her brains. She knew of a Pokémon… it was just on the tip of her tongue… what was its name again?

Haku gave a triumphant smile. "Should I tell you?"

Luci shrugged. "Sure, if you want to."

"You're going to kick yourself, but I'm an Absol Pokéshifter."

"Seriously?" Luci groaned. "I almost had it!" She hung her head as everyone else laughed. It was only a matter of time before she started laughing as well. "Yeah, I'm dumb, go on and laugh," she chuckled.

"Hey guys!" Flara called. "It's all ready!"

It was not until that precise moment that Luci realised how hungry she felt. _When was the last time I ate, anyway…?_

"Well, what is it, anyway?"

"Beans on toast with a few chips. I know it doesn't really go together, but it's all we got."

Luci didn't really care. After all, all food tastes good when you're that ravenous. She finished her plate in thirty seconds flat.

"Whoa there, do all Lucario Pokéshifters eat that fast?!" Leone exclaimed.

Luci laughed. "Nah, I just can't remember the last time I ate, is all."

"You're not serious?" gasped Flara.

"Yeah, I actually am… perhaps being on the run makes you lose track." Luci shrugged. "But if you guys are hiding all the way out here, then where do you get the food?"

Frinos looked up with as innocent an expression on his face as he could manage. "We shoplift."

"You're not serious?" yelled Luci, almost dropping her cup of Coke.

"Yeah, we actually are," sighed Leone. "But it's the only way to survive. In Eterna Forest, there are only Berries, and only Flara seems to like them."

"But they're delicious!" protested Flara.

Suddenly, everything in the camp went quiet. You could've heard an acorn drop, if not for the rustling in the bushes just behind Flara's tent.

Leone slowly got up. "We've got company."


	3. Chapter 3: The Mysterious Rustling Bush

**Chapter Three: The Mysterious Rustling Bush**

**_"_****_OKAY THEN, YOU_** **wimpydoodles," muttered** Flara. "I'm going to see what's what." She strode over towards the bush, which was now rustling insistently. Ominous squealing noises also now seemed to be emanating from it.

"Flara…" warned Leone.

Flara knelt down next to the bush, and pushed her hands into it, trying to feel for the intruder. Luci was debating whether it would be worth it to shift when a sudden, extremely high-pitched cry accompanied a white blur as it shot out of the bush and around the camp.

Flara jumped back in surprise. "What the Houndour?!"

The white blur zipped around camp, eventually colliding with Luci's face. The blur hit Luci with such force that she was knocked to the ground, narrowly missing the fire and instead grazing her shoulder on a log. She looked up, and in her hands squirmed a tiny, utterly freaked-out Togetic.

"Hey guys," called Luci with all the calmness one could manage when trying to keep hold of a rapidly squirming flying Pokémon. "No need to freak, it's just a Togetic."

The Togetic flapped its little wings at an insane speed, trying fruitlessly to get out of Luci's grip as the rest of the Pokéshifter Squad crowded around them. Flara burst out laughing.

"Sorry but it's… just too funny!" she giggled.

Luci rolled her eyes, though it was true - she probably did look hilarious, lying on the floor and trying to keep the Togetic restrained. Leone peered queerly at the Togetic as if she was observing a chemical reaction.

"_Just_ a Togetic? Somehow I find that hard to believe," Leone said, as if wondering aloud. "I've heard tell of Togetic living in some sort of parallel dimension, but not in Eterna Forest." She gently touched the top of the Togetic's head in an attempt to calm it down. Instead, the Togetic became even more freaked.

"Whoa!" yelled Luci. "I don't think I can keep hold of it much longer!"

The Togetic, putting on a burst of energy, finally wrenched itself out of Luci's hands. It flew in a low arc over the campfire and landed with a thud on the ground. As it landed, something strange began to happen. The Togetic's body suddenly glowed brightly, so bright that the five Pokéshifters had to look away. When they could look again, in the space where the Togetic had been, was a small, blonde-haired girl wearing nothing but a light short-sleeved white shirt with the red-and-blue triangle pattern of a Togetic inscribed on it, and a pair of ripped jeans. She was on the floor, panting as if she had just run two marathons consecutively. She glanced up out of fearful brown eyes at Luci. She whimpered.

"D-don't hurt me!" she stammered, edging backwards. "I'm-I'm not-"

"We're not going to hurt you," said Leone soothingly. "But please, tell us why you were hiding in that bush."

The girl looked around wildly. She then looked down at the ground, abashed, unable to meet the five pairs of eyes gazing intently at her. "I-I had fled there. Some p-people are after me. Dangerous people. I-I think they want to kill me. S-so I went to the f-forest, to try to lose them. I hid out in that bush. I-I was listening to your conversation and, well…" She trailed off. Her voice was so soft that the Squad had to strain to hear her. "I know you five are P-Pokéshifters."

"That's okay," said Leone. "What's your name?"

"Akari," the girl whispered.

"Well, Akari, you're safe here." Leone smiled.

Luci gazed at Akari. She didn't need to read her Aura to know she was telling the truth. Luci could see it in her eyes. Eyes full of terror and confusion. Luci knew she had had eyes like that, once. Once, nearly four years ago it was, when she had just turned eleven. That was when her old life fell apart. That was when a life of play and enjoyment had been switched for a life of loss, fear, and hunger. That was what being on the run did to people.

Luci had changed since then. Changed permanently. Though for better or for worse she did not know.

Akari seemed to relax slightly. "S-so you're Pokéshifters," she stuttered. "Are you on the run too?"

"Yeah, technically," replied Frinos. "Though we're safe here, or at least for now."

"Beans and chips?" Flara offered, holding out a plate to her. "Take it, otherwise I'm gonna eat it!"

Akari shyly took the plate and began eating the food with her bare fingers. Despite looking half-starved, she didn't eat it ravenously like Luci had. But she was extremely grateful. "T-thank you," she whispered, barely audible, to Flara.

Flara grinned her pancake grin. "No problemo."

Akari looked from Flara to Frinos, obviously noticing their stark similarities. "Are you two related?"

"Yup!" replied Flara. "We're brother and sister. I'm older, he's younger."

Frinos gave Flara a look. "Yeah, but only by two minutes!" He turned to Akari. "We're actually fraternal twins."

Akari managed a smile. Her cheeks reddened. "Y-yeah. So, what are your names?"

"I'm Frinos. I'm a Glaceon Pokéshifter," he told her. He frowned as he noticed Akari was blushing. Was she always like that, or…?

"Yo! I'm Flara. A Flareon Pokéshifter!" introduced Flara. She took Akari's hand, and shook it. Only she shook it _really_ hard.

So hard that Akari's small frame ended up sprawled on the floor. "Wahh!"

Leone glared at Flara, who had once again burst into laughter. "Watch it; you're going to dislocate someone's arm one day!" She then sighed and turned to Akari. "I'm Leone, a Torterra Pokéshifter, and I guess you could say I'm the leader of this little merry band. And what joy it is," she sighed again, rolling her eyes in Flara's direction. Akari's smile widened.

Haku, who had been previously silent, put in, "I'm Haku. I'm an Absol Pokéshifter."

Luci walked forward and knelt down until her face was level with Akari's. "Hey. I'm Luci, and I'm kind of new here. But in any case, I'm a Lucario Pokéshifter."

"Cool," remarked Akari in her barely audible whisper.

As the six of them talked, Akari began to finally feel as if she'd found a place of refuge, and some really good friends. She'd always been adamant in her belief that there were other Pokéshifters out there, somewhere. Now that she'd found them, that just took her one step closer to her dream.

No-one noticed the Ekans who had wrapped itself around a low tree branch, and was following the activity in the depression below with its yellow eyes. _"Pokéshiftersss…"_ The word escaped in a long hiss from the Ekans' mouth.

_"__Are these onesss maybe…?"_

_"__But they sssseem way too sssstrong for me to take out on my own."_

_"__But if I go back empty-handed…"_ The Ekans shuddered, making the tree branch wiggle. Taking a deep breath, the Pokémon tightened its coils, and tried to remain inconspicuous.

_"__No. I'll jusssst wait. I'll wait, and bide my time." _

* * *

Tributes

-Akari the Togetic Pokeshifter created by 25535383


	4. Chapter 4: A Disastrous Dream

**Chapter Four: A Disastrous Dream**

**_THE SIX POKÉSHIFTERS_** **talked for** what seemed like hours. Eventually, the band broke up and Leone told Frinos to get some more food. Promptly shifting into his Pokémon form - a sleek Glaceon with turquoise markings where most Glaceon would have dark blue - he rushed off as a cobalt blur in the direction of Eterna City.

Haku, meanwhile, reckoned it was the perfect weather for sunbathing, on this bright, almost cloudless, afternoon. He was stretched out on the grass in a spot where the trees' canopy allowed a generous amount of sunlight to fall through. It was just great, sitting here, listening to the Starly chirrup in the branches and the Zigzagoon rustle in the bushes. Haku's mouth was stretched in a wide smile. He had been sitting here since the whole business with Akari was sorted out. The young Togetic Pokéshifter was in Flara's tent with Flara and Luci-since it was the biggest tent, the three would share it tonight. Despite everything Akari had said Haku was still suspicious of her. He had thought it, in the least to say, rather odd that she had just randomly appeared out of that bush on the outskirts of camp. It was almost as if she had been spying.

Haku's brow furrowed as that thought occurred to him. Could it be that the Pokéshifter Squad had a traitor in their midst?

Haku's violet eyes shot open as he became aware of footsteps rustling the grass not a metre away from him. He looked up into bright, shining grass-green eyes and a stern face. Leone.

Haku sat up. "Hi," he said sheepishly.

"Get your lazy arse up," Leone ordered. "You're on scout duty today."

"Why? It's comfortable here," Haku groaned.

"Well, Flara's on cooking duty, so I can't ask her. It would be rude to ask Akari - she's still recovering plus she's a guest. Same with Luci really. And I already sent Frinos to get more food. Which leaves you."

Haku eyed the Torterra Pokéshifter. "Or you."

Leone folded her arms. "Enough of the lip! You know I have to stay here to make sure everyone's okay. Being the leader is a lot harder than you think it is, Haku!"

"Oh, certainly," Haku grumbled as he turned on his side.

"Haku-" Leone began.

Almost immediately Haku emitted a loud snore which could put a Slaking to shame.

Leone growled as she stamped her sandaled foot on the ground. "Fine! Go without dinner tonight then," she huffed as her footsteps rapidly receded. And, just before she walked out of earshot, she grumbled, "Men are all the same! They'll always avoid work if they can help it!"

Haku grinned and reverted back to his original position. He _would_ go scouting, but not before he first got a little chill-time. Things were hardly ever relaxing in the camp of the Pokéshifter Squad, and Haku wasn't going to miss this opportunity for a little time when it was just him, his thoughts, and the forest. It was nowhere near as good sitting in the hammock above the beach when he was little, but still, you couldn't really go wrong with a sunbathe in Eterna Forest.

He smiled as he watched two Beautifly frolic in the air above him. _I'll just close my eyes for a second,_ he thought, but as soon as he did, his world dissolved.

* * *

_Haku gasped. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to blink. It hurt to think. It just hurt._

_Haku struggled to lift his head, and almost threw up as he saw the gaping wound across his abdomen. It wasn't deep, but it oozed blood and pus and felt horrible._

_"__Ha! Pathetic! Is that the best you can do?" taunted a voice. Haku looked up into a face almost obscured by shadows, except for a pair of glowing golden eyes._

_Haku slowly became aware of his surroundings. He was in Eterna Forest, near a small pond he knew was close to the camp. Only the air was acrid with smoke. The trees around him flickered orangey-red. Eterna Forest was on fire._

_He then saw Frinos. His sky-blue hair was unmistakeable, even if half of it had burnt off. He was being slung over the shoulder of a big, burly man, who stood astride a glowering Emboar._

_Something triggered in Haku's memory. _Wait,_ he thought, _I know that man…

_His thoughts were drowned out as incessant, manic laughing burst from his mysterious adversary. "You really are pathetic, you know that? Well, got anything to say?" When Haku was silent, the figure shifted into a fight stance. "In that case, I'll just finish you!"_

_The figure lunged, and Haku screamed._

* * *

Haku gasped, sitting up straight with a jolt. He felt grass between his fingers. He instinctively touched his abdomen. No wound-just a jacket coated in sweat. He breathed deeply. Just a dream.

Or was it?

Haku thought back to the dream. It had felt incredibly vivid. _Too_ vivid. It was like being _inside _a HD-3D film. Haku shook his head. Had it been one of… _those _dreams? He hadn't had one of those in ages.

"Disaster dreams" was what he called them. He guessed it was an Absol's intuition. But he hated having that power - to him, it was like a waking nightmare. Visions of the future. And none of them were good.

_How long was I even out? _Haku wondered. He looked at the clouds which hung in the darkening sky, streaked with pink and orange. The sun had started to set. He'd slept for at least two hours, probably more.

Haku's nose twitched as he caught a faint smell in the air. He could smell it… just. But it was there, on the wind. Smoke.

It took him a while to realise that the Starly, Staravia and Pidgey singing in the trees had gone quiet.

Haku didn't hesitate once as he changed rapidly into his Pokémon form and sprinted into the forest as fast as his four powerful Absol legs could carry him. _This is bad,_ he thought as he ran. _Really bad. Really really really bad…_

* * *

Akari looked shyly from Flara to Luci, then back again. "Well, I guess if we're going to sleep in the same tent, we're going to have to get to know each other, huh?" she announced with a nervous laugh.

The Flareon and Lucario Pokéshifters both turned towards their new friend. "Mmmhmm, I guess," replied Luci.

"I think it's a great idea!" congratulated Flara, patting Akari on the back as she blushed. "Let's start at the beginning, huh? So, where'd we all come from? What are our families like?"

Akari looked down at her rolled-up sleeping bag. "Well… um, okay. I was born in Violet City."

"You mean Violet City in Johto?" asked Luci.

"That's right. As for family… well… I guess it can be a bit of a sore subject."

Flara's usually cheery face looked remorse. "Oh… you don't have to tell us if you don't want. It's fine."

"No, no… maybe it would help to get it out…" Akari slowly pronounced, giving a few large sniffs before beginning. "Well, my mother was the one I was most attached to. But… she died. Two years ago. She was a Pokémon vet and a Pokémon Trainer… well she was that before she became a vet. She taught me everything I know about Pokémon. Especially how to look after them. Because of her, I became interested in medical studies and decided to become a vet." She sniffed again, wiping at her left eye. "I heard that the reason I became a Pokéshifter was because while my mum was pregnant with me, she was trying to bond herself with a Togetic. I-I honestly don't know why."

Flara frowned. "But that doesn't make any sense! Not from what Leone told me, anyway."

"What did Leone tell you?" Luci asked, intrigued.

"When she was younger, she wanted to be a Pokémon researcher. She managed to get her hands on some book about Pokéshifters. This book is actually the truth, recorded supposedly by a scientist who was a Pokéshifter herself. But she published her book as a book about Pokémon myths, thinking that no-one would believe it." Flara cleared her throat as if she was about to begin a long speech. "Anyway… this scientist found out that millions and trillions and bazillions of years ago Pokémon and humans lived separate. They didn't mingle with each other at all. Then some Pokémon or human did something to annoy the other side and they all ended up warring. It was really, like really, _really_ long before any kind of peace treaty was signed. Thousands upon thousands of humans and Pokémon had died in the fighting. Since it appeared that the war would just go on for ever without stopping, the humans and Pokémon together agreed to bring an end to the war. And to make sure it didn't happen again, they also agreed on two conditions. First, Pokémon and humans would live alongside each other, mingling with each other and helping each other out if needed. Second, _we _were created. I don't know what sort of jumbovoobaloo was used to make it happen, but Leone told me something about recessive genes being passed down for generations… or whatever." Flara scratched the side of her head. "But since then, Pokéshifters have existed. A mixture of Pokémon and human. The link between the two. But I don't remember the details of the whole war and the how Pokéshifters were created stuff; you'll have to ask Leone about that. I think she may also still have that book."

Luci and Akari took a while to digest this. Although Flara's was not a full account by any means, it still contained many facts on the history of Pokéshifters that both of them had never heard of before. Luci, despite doing a huge amount of research on the matter, had never heard anything about a war between humans and Pokémon. She guessed that it had happened before anyone wrote anything down, so it had been passed down by word of mouth until it was eventually completely forgotten and regarded only as a myth. But Luci was full of the urge to know more from the insight Flara had given her. She made a mental note to ask Leone about it at some point sooner or later.

Akari poised with her mouth open, looking like she wanted to say something, but never got to say it. Because at that point in time Leone burst into the tent, almost ripping the flaps clean off in her haste to get in. Her eyes were wild, frantic. Perspiration had collected in the middle of her forehead, so her brow appeared to be shining in the dwindling light of the setting sun. "Have any of you seen Haku recently?" she gasped.

Each of the tent's inhabitants slowly shook her head.

This information proceeded to make Leone even more freaked-out. She grabbed her temples, pulling at her chocolate curls. "Where could that idiot have _gone_?"

Luci frowned. "I swear you said you were going to send him out on a scouting mission."

"Well… yeah." Leone's voice calmed, but her expression seemed no less frantic. "That was the plan, but the lousy old bugger refused to work, so I went out and did some scouting around the camp myself. I found nothing suspicious. Then I came back to where I last saw him to try again at getting him off his lazy arse, but he wasn't there. I checked his tent. I mean I literally _ransacked _it. Holy Arceus, he'd be mad if he saw it. But I didn't find any sign of him. I began to worry, and I checked around the whole camp twice. But unless he's suddenly become a Kecleon Pokéshifter, he's not in camp."

Silence. Flara, Luci and Akari just stared at each other, not knowing what to say.

Leone backed out of the tent. "Well, see you. I'm going to go look for him." The Torterra Pokéshifter ran off, her receding footsteps becoming louder and heavier as she switched to her Pokémon form.

After Leone's plodding faded into silence, Luci stood slowly up. "I've got a bad feeling about this, and I think Leone's going to need some back-up." She lifted the flap of the tent and crawled out. Flara swiftly followed, with Akari close behind.

"Hey! Let us go with you!" Flara called to the sprinting Pokéshifter's back.

Luci didn't even turn around as she answered, "No! You two stay here. We can't leave the camp unguarded." Then she was gone, just an indigo blur in the treetops after she rapidly shifted.

* * *

_Faster,_ Haku's brain told his legs. But his legs were already pumping with all the power they could muster.

Haku was completely indifferent to the brambles which scraped his sides and the nettles which groped at his ankles. His one thought, which repeated over and over in his mind, was: _Find the pond - find Frinos. Find the pond - find Frinos. Find the pond, you worthless Pokéshifter!_

Haku sprinted up a steep rise, narrowly avoiding jutting roots. He knew that the top of the rise offered a good view of the surrounding nearby forest beyond. He stopped, panting, at the top, and gazed at the forest spread out below him, tinged orange by the sunset.

Wait a second… did the light of the setting sun ripple and squirm like a living thing? Did it make the air around it haze in a heat shimmer? And did it smell as pungent as the air Haku was sniffing through his nostrils?

No way. But fire did. Fire most definitely did.

Haku couldn't see the pond through the hungry flames which were rapidly spreading through the forest, relentlessly gorging on the trees. But he knew he was close. Close to Frinos. And close to whatever had caused this fire.

The question was _when._ He could already be too late to save Frinos. His dreams could happen two weeks in advance, or a mere minute before they happened. It could well be that the man he saw in his vision was already miles away, lugging Frinos to some laboratory in the middle of nowhere. Something nagged in the back of Haku's brain. He'd seen that man, the one with the Emboar, before. But when and where? He knew he should be able to remember, but he just couldn't.

_"__Run!" _squeaked a young Buneary who hopped past, almost bumping into Haku. There was a huge tide of forest Pokémon all hopping, bouncing, running, crawling, doing whatever they could to get away from the deadly flames. And there was Haku, about to plunge right into them.

_The forest Pokémon must think I'm deranged,_ mused Haku as he leapt down the hill and into the burning forest.

The blistering heat was enough to make Haku choke. He took a last gulp of oxygenated air before he hit the flames. Leaping over flaming logs and avoiding scorched trees as they crashed to the ground, Haku blinked, trying to get the acrid smoke out of his eyes. He cleared a ditch which was burning like a furnace and almost didn't notice the pond until his charred paws touched something cold and wet. Before he knew it he was almost up to his shoulders in cool water. He lapped from the pond gratefully.

But he couldn't stay here. He had to find Frinos first. Then he had to somehow figure out a way to stop this forest fire. That was easier said than done, but that would come later. Frinos first.

Haku surveyed the clearing. It looked very like it had in his dream, only he couldn't see any sign of Frinos, or an Emboar, or a shady, burly man. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement on the far side of the pond. Trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible, Haku swam towards the shore. As he got closer he could pick out two - no, three - figures walking across the shale, black against the flames. Haku swam as fast as he could towards them, not caring that his moves had caused a huge amount of splashing and noise. So much for being inconspicuous.

Haku was almost to the far side of the pond when he realised, that, for the first time in his life, he had gone into battle without a plan.

Which was ridiculous. Haku _always _had a plan. Clever plans always had been, and always will be, the way to win. Haku knew all the tricks. Fake-outs. Double bluffs. Triple bluffs. Reverse psychology. Manipulation. Ingenious plots. That had always been Haku's strong point, but not now.

Now he was just running recklessly at three enemies without even analysing their attack patterns. Fuelled only by his desire to save his friend.

Haku sped out of the water, launching himself at the nearest figure, growling and dripping. He was moving so fast he barely had time to take in the details of his opponent's appearance. A lithe, athletic-looking girl with long, deep purple hair which reached almost to the floor stared right at Haku with an expression of shock in her huge golden eyes. Then Haku pummelled right into her, his momentum carrying them both twenty feet into a pile of rotting leaves, narrowly avoiding a burning bush.

"Naomi!" yelled a human voice. Haku whipped round, and there he was.

A memory came rushing back to Haku like a tidal wave. It was this same big, burly man, with a buzz-cut and sunglasses, which Haku had first seen outside his front door, on the day when he shifted for the first time. He'd been holding a gun to Haku's head, insisting that he come with him - which Haku had envisioned just a few hours before. Haku had panicked, changed, and used Razor Wind, which had bought him enough time to get away from the man and his terrifying Emboar.

The Emboar in question had his red eyes trained on Haku. His eyes widened, as if he had recognised him. The man's expression was concealed behind his sunglasses, but Haku could tell he was confused. A very beaten-up, burnt, bruised and bleeding Frinos was slung over the man's shoulder. A good portion of his hair had burned off and his clothes were blackened and patched in places. He seemed to be unconscious.

Anger filled Haku at the sight of the beefy man. He completely forgot about the purple-haired girl. He growled and made to hit him with a full-power Night Slash -

But his front paw wouldn't move. He stared at it.

A deep purple-and-yellow _thing_ was wrapped tightly around it. Haku realised suddenly that the thing was a tail, as it was tipped with four yellow beads in the exact formation of an Ekans's rattle. Haku's heart almost froze. He turned his head slowly so he could see behind him. The face of a very angry Ekans leered at him, pressed right up to his ear.

The first thing Haku noticed about the Ekans was that it had the unmistakably alike golden eyes of the girl he had just recklessly pummelled to the ground.

The second thing he noticed was that the Ekans had him in a crushing iron grip, obviously preparing to use Wrap - the Pokémon's long body was wrapped twice around Haku's own, coiling tighter with each breath he took. At this rate he soon wouldn't be able to breathe.

Haku could just understand the Ekans's malicious hissing. _"You idiot of a Pokémon! You think you can take me down like that? Well, let me tell you sssomething. Me and that idiot of a human over there are on a very important missssion. One that I can't afford to cock up becausse of sssome lousssy Absssol sssscum!" _With each word, the Pokéshifter tightened her coils even more to the point Haku felt as if his lungs would implode. _"I don't really have time for you," _she uttered in a poisonous hiss, _"but I'll teach you a lessson in pain anyway; that's what happensss to pathetic punksss like you who get on my bad ssside!"_

Haku squirmed, his brain racing. The only way to escape from the Ekans's coils would be to morph back into his human form. However, that would alert Frinos's captors to the fact he was a Pokéshifter, and he had no doubt in his mind that both of them worked for Genmi - although he was confused about why a Pokéshifter would ever want to join up with _that_ organisation. It would also momentarily strip him of his Absol powers, leaving him open. But the Ekans was still coiling around his body rapidly.

"Naomi!" Haku could hear the human yell, as if he was a million miles away. "Let it go. We need to get back to HQ as quickly as possible, now that we've got the rogue Pokéshifter."

The Ekans grinned a sly snake's smile. _"Oh, don't you worry," _she said, speaking more to Haku than to her comrade, as she knew he wouldn't understand her. _"I'll let him go onccce I've broken a few of his ribssss."_

_Now or never, _Haku thought.

Concentrating, Haku imagined himself changing from a silver-striped Absol to a 14-year-old boy. Fur became skin and hair, claws became fingers, and his horn and tail disappeared. He felt the Ekans girl Naomi uncoil in shock as in the place of an Absol squatted a strange-looking young man. The Absol Pokéshifter burst through Naomi's weakened defences and turned around to face her, fists clenched.

Haku heard the sound of a gun being cocked behind him, and an Emboar's guttural growl. But Naomi, now a human, shook her head, causing her long purple tresses to cascade across her like a dark waterfall. "Xerno, don't. This guy is mine. And mine alone." She turned to Haku, her golden snakelike eyes narrowing. "So, a Pokéshifter, eh? Guess you're one of that Glaceon punk's group." She laughed tauntingly and folded her arms. "Well, he didn't put up much of a fight. If you're his friend, then you can't be much less pathetic."

"Frinos," growled Haku. "His name is Frinos."

Haku's teeth sharpened. Black claws erupted from the tips of his fingers. A long, curved horn began to poke through his mass of silver-black hair. He roared, getting down on all fours and charging towards Naomi, still shifting even as he ran. He lunged at the girl with sharp, purplish claws, but Naomi was ready for it and so easily avoided his attack. She shifted in mid-air, bringing down her beaded tail tip onto Haku's head. Haku saw it coming and made to jerk out of the way, but the Ekans tail managed to clip him down the side of his abdomen, scraping through jacket and shirt and flesh. Haku fell backwards at the foot of a burning tree, gasping. He had been hit in mid-shift. He slowly morphed fully back into a human.

He gasped again, wincing. The side of his abdomen where Naomi had hit him hurt like an incision done without anaesthetics. It spewed blood and pus over his jacket. He tried to get up, but the pain was too unbearable.

Naomi was laughing at him. "Ha! Pathetic! Is that the best you can do?" Her laughter was almost maniacal. "You really are pathetic, you know that? Well, got anything to say?"

Haku was silent. He knew it would hurt to talk.

"Naomi…" muttered the Pokéshifter's human companion, his voice edged with urgency.

Naomi didn't seem to hear him. "Well, in that case, I'll just finish you!"

Naomi shifted once again and lunged at him, first ripping at his shoulder with Bite, tearing the skin away, then spitting a foul, bubbling, purplish substance into Haku's gaping wound.

Haku screamed and screamed and screamed in agony as the Acid entered his bloodstream. He moaned and turned on his side as Naomi got up as a human, muttering, "Weakling."

He heard rapidly receding footsteps as his enemies made off with Frinos. Haku felt like crying, but it was too painful. He had failed his best friend. Naomi had been too quick, even for him. He'd just got beaten to the ground as if he were nothing.

Now he was probably going to die. He could feel the poisonous Acid seeping into his veins, spreading throughout his body.

Haku felt a feeling of weightlessness, like he was flying, just before consciousness left him.

_Just because I can predict the future, doesn't mean I have the power to stop it from happening._

* * *

Tributes

-Naomi the Ekans Pokeshifter created by 25535383


	5. Chapter 5: The Forbidden Thing

**Chapter Five: The Forbidden Thing**

**_NAOMI RESISTED THE _****urge to** groan, and instead continued glaring at her bodyguard, Xerno's, back.

Her feet ached. They were way ahead of the fire by now, but they could still smell the acrid smoke filtering through their nostrils.

_The sooner we get out of this stinking forest, the better, _Naomi thought.

At the same time, though, she also felt a pang. She remembered a day when she was younger, still living back in the scenic region of Fiore - where humans and Pokémon lived as one. She'd spend her days playing with the Pokémon she'd befriended in the forest and the park. And now she was destroying those Pokémon's habitat.

Well, technically it hadn't been her. It had been Xerno's Emboar who had burned the forest down. But, Naomi reflected, it was still her fault. As although she protested at first, in the end she'd done nothing to stop that Emboar unleashing his deadly flames. Xerno had told her that it was necessary, to flush the rogue Pokéshifters out of their hiding place. But Naomi, now she had stopped to think, wondered if that was really the right thing to do.

_Rogue Pokéshifters, huh…_

She remembered that pathetic Absol Pokéshifter from earlier. Most likely he was with those rogues. In fact, she _knew _he was with those rogues. She'd seen their camp, coiled around a high branch in her Ekans form. After finding them, she'd decided to bide her time for a little while, then, when they were all in their tents, she'd slunk back to HQ. Genmi's Sinnoh headquarters was concealed on a tree-lined outcrop just behind the old Team Galactic building, in Eterna City. There, she'd been given her next mission - she was to go with Xerno to flush out the Pokéshifters, and hopefully bring one back for interrogation.

Well, they'd succeeded on that account. The Glaceon Pokéshifter had been powerless against Emboar's Flamethrower. He hung limply over Xerno's shoulder, dried blood cracking on his face and half-burned, brittle sky-blue hair tossing as Xerno walked along. To her surprise, Naomi felt sorry for the boy. Even more surprisingly, she felt sorry for the other Pokéshifter who she'd beaten to a pulp back in the burning grove.

_Had I been too harsh on him?_

He had attacked her out of blue. Naomi had been so angry she had just wanted to thrash his arse and leave him there squirming. Which she had done. But strangely, she had no sense of satisfaction or triumph after the rage had left her. Perhaps because the boy was now probably dead.

Naomi shook her head. _He was probably going to die anyway. He's an idiot, rushing into the flames like that just to save his pathetic friend._

But as Naomi thought about it, she thought, _Would I ever be able do that for a friend?_

The thought came completely unbidden. But Naomi was unable to answer it.

Naomi had not had any friends to speak of since she'd joined Genmi. Before that, she'd been alone since she ran away from her dad. She knew that, as soon as she first shifted, her dad didn't want her around. So she'd swapped Fiore for Sinnoh, and had ended up meeting two men from Genmi along the way. They somehow already knew she was a Pokéshifter. They had introduced themselves as people working for a facility which helped Pokéshifters learn to control their powers and, using those powers, help make the world a better place. They'd given her a place to sleep, food, and company; three things she'd been craving since she had ran away from home. Of course, now she had to work for them. But it wasn't too bad. She'd honed her powers, day in, day out. She was hoping to one day evolve her Pokémon self. Naomi had found it slightly suspicious, however, that she was the only Pokéshifter working for them. But they had told her that she was their first recruit, and that they were working on recruiting more. Naomi had suspected nothing at first. But she'd gradually noticed, through all the months she'd spent with Genmi, that the workers had a tendency to avoid her questions, and also that they wouldn't tell her why certain parts of the building were strictly off-limits. But they had given her the things she needed when she needed them most. So she kind of owed them, in a way.

Naomi, Emboar and Xerno spent another hour trudging through the forest before they reached HQ.

Genmi Incorporated's Sinnoh Headquarters were built into the side of a steep, tree-lined outcrop, on the side facing away from the city. The old Team Galactic building loomed about a kilometre away.

The Headquarters themselves were huge. Walls constructed entirely out of reinforced steel, it was built like an extremely technical, modern castle. It had a thick outer wall, with a large space inside in which all the buildings were arranged. Steps cut into the side of the outcrop led upwards towards the main entrance.

The Pokéshifter, the Pokémon and the bodyguard hopped up the steps, towards the front door. It actually wasn't that big, but was reinforced with titanium, and had a maximum security lock. Naomi pressed her hand into the DNA scanner, and waited for the door to slide open. Xerno and his Emboar quickly followed.

Their footsteps reverberated down the dark, air-conditioned hallway, until it opened out into the central courtyard. From there, the trio headed towards a large dome-shaped building set right in the centre. After passing through another DNA scanner they stepped right into a large, spacious room, lined with tables, technology, and people. Workers and their Pokémon congregated in the centre, talking loudly and enthusiastically.

This was the hall in which all the meetings were held-not that Naomi was allowed into any of the meetings. She also knew that on the far side of the dome were Atomica Genmi's personal living quarters. Naomi wasn't allowed in there either.

The workers noticed them step into the room and immediately fell silent.

"All of you are dismissed," came a female voice from somewhere in the centre of the throng. The grey-uniformed workers dispersed, their Pokémon following behind them obediently. A raven-haired woman with striking maroon eyes looked towards Naomi, Xerno and Emboar as they proceeded.

Atomica Genmi was in her early twenties. She was the leader of Genmi Incorporated's Sinnoh Division, and also the daughter of Axalar Genmi herself, the founder of the organisation. Many workers called her a "chip off the old block". Naomi had guessed that that meant "like mother, like daughter." If that was correct, then Naomi wasn't sure if she wanted to meet Atomica Genmi's mother. Atomica seemed nice enough, but if something angered her, she exploded like a nuclear bomb.

Atomica's Porygon-Z flitted around her head as Naomi stopped before her. "We're back, Miss Genmi. And we captured one of the rogue Pokéshifters."

"Well done, Naomi, Xerno and Emboar." Atomica smiled. "Well, can I see this Pokéshifter please?"

"Sure thing, ma'am," grunted Xerno, hefting the still-unconscious Glaceon Pokéshifter off his back and onto the nearest table.

Atomica leaned over him. She sighed. "You three can never just knock someone out, can you? Never mind. We'll get him patched up, then interrogate him right away." She called out an order, and two uniformed men briskly walked in and carried off the blue-haired Pokéshifter on a stretcher.

"Have we got another mission?" asked Naomi pointedly.

Atomica shook her head. "Not as of yet. Besides, you need a good long rest. I can see you're tired, Naomi." She smiled once again. "But well done. We could never achieve our goal without you, Naomi."

"Thanks… but what about the other rogue Pokéshifters? It wasn't just him. I told you there were others."

Atomica waved her hand dismissively. "We'll take care of them later. For now, we only need one. Hopefully he'll spill the beans about what he and his friends are plotting."

Atomica had a hunch that the rogue Pokéshifters planned to band together and conquer the world using their powers. But because Genmi was an organisation who wanted to use Pokéshifter powers for good, they decided to try and keep these rogue Pokéshifters under control. She had told this to Naomi when they had first met, and since then Naomi had become a bounty hunter of sorts for these rogue Pokéshifters. The Glaceon was not the first she'd captured. But Naomi did find it more than a little suspicious that whenever she brought a Pokéshifter back, they were carried off and never heard from again.

Naomi didn't point this out, however. Instead, she said, "Well, miss, I guess I'll head back to my room." She waved to Xerno and Atomica, exited the domed building and began to head for the dorms. It was true she felt very tired after that last mission. Almost like she could just go to sleep on the hard, rocky ground beneath her feet.

She had almost reached the dorm building when she noticed something out of the corner of one of her golden eyes. It was that Glaceon Pokéshifter again, with those two uniformed Genmi workers carrying him on a stretcher. She saw they were heading towards the huge, ominous building which Naomi had started calling "The Forbidden Thing."

Out of all the places in Genmi's Sinnoh HQ which Naomi was denied access, none was emphasised on more than this building. It was so forbidden, Naomi hadn't even been told was it was usually referred to, so she'd made up her own name.

It was tall, wide, and almost as heavily reinforced as the outer wall. It was by far the biggest of the buildings inside the central courtyard. A tall chain-link fence ran around the perimeter.

_It looks like a fucking prison,_ thought Naomi.

Naomi's tiredness immediately drained away, replaced by pure curiosity. What was the reason why this building was so _forbidden_? All at once, she didn't care about consequences anymore. She just cared about finding out what went on in this building.

She watched as the gate swung open to admit the two workers with the Pokéshifter. Then, concealing herself in the shadows of the early evening, she switched to her Ekans form and slithered under the fence.

Whatever forbidden things went on in the Forbidden Thing, the Ekans Pokéshifter was about to find out.

* * *

The greens and browns of Eterna Forest were a blur around Luci as she hopped from tree to tree, putting on quick bursts of ExtremeSpeed so she could go even faster. Her amber eyes scanned the surroundings for any sign of Leone's or Haku's Aura.

She almost fell off a branch when she saw an emerald-green Aura emanation come from a tree down below. Strange. Although it was true that trees did exert Aura, their Aura was a primal, ancient presence, with a queer feel. This Aura was nothing like your typical tree's Aura. Besides, most plant Aura was usually clear.

She almost smacked herself as she realised. _Leone's a _Torterra _Pokéshifter, you idiot!_

Luci leapt down to the forest floor, landing with a rustle of leaves under her paws. Her eyes shifted from the Aural spectrum to regular vision as she took in the sight before her.

A strong, almost full-grown female Torterra stood before her. The Pokémon was standing stock still, and appeared to be sniffing the air.

Luci had never seen Leone in her Pokémon form before, but she instinctively knew it was her. Luci realised that the Torterra Pokéshifter hadn't noticed her yet. Smirking, she strode forward and playfully slapped her on the rump.

_"__Whatawhatawhatawhat?!" _ the Pokémon spluttered, almost leaping into the air as she whipped round.

Luci gave a huge grin which broke into a laugh. _"You should've seen yourself!"_

Leone shook her head and glared with her grass-green eyes at Luci. _"Not funny, Luci. Besides, can't you see I'm busy here?"_

Luci's grin faded. _"I know. I came to help you."_

_"__I didn't ask for any," _Leone grunted irritably.

_"__Well, tough luck. I'm helping you find Haku whether you like it or not," _said Luci, pulling a face at Leone.

Leone peered over the Lucario Pokéshifter, as if watching for something coming up behind her. _"Where's Flara and Akari?"_

_"__Back at camp… Well, hopefully. I told them to stay there to guard it, although I could tell they really wanted to come along with me."_

_"__That's understandable. At least for Flara, anyway - we're a family here, and we look out for one another." _She gazed into Luci's amber eyes. _"But why are you and Akari trying to help us? We haven't even known you for twenty-four hours."_

Luci shrugged. _"Because it's the right thing to do? I dunno. I mean, I'm the kind of person who usually takes a while to warm up to new people. But with you guys, something clicked straight away. I don't know what it was. Maybe because I was so ecstatic to find other Pokéshifters? Or…" _Luci sighed. _"Well, you saved me from those Genmi goons, Leone. If it wasn't for you and Flara I'd been locked up in some lab by now. I feel like I owe you guys. And Akari probably feels the same."_

Leone digested that for a minute. Then she gave a wide Torterra grin. _"Well, it's as good a reason as any, I suppose."_

Luci had to smile back. _"Yup! Glad you understand. Well, anyway, you found any clues as to where Haku might've-"_

Luci suddenly broke off. A wave of nausea caused her to stagger as a cloud of carbon monoxide entered her nostrils, along with an unmistakable smell.

_Fire!_

Leone smelt it too. Her green eyes widened and she stared straight at Luci.

_"__They've… they've started a fire!"_

Luci's eyes narrowed as she glared at the orange light filtering through the trees. At first she'd thought the glow had been the setting sun-but this light was way too intense to be sunlight.

And it was rapidly getting brighter.

_"__This must be why Haku left," _murmured Luci. _"He's an Absol Pokéshifter. Can he predict disasters?"_

_"__Y-yes," _Leone choked, nodding.

_"__I've got a bad feeling about this fire. We need to stop it. But how?"_

The answer was obvious - a Water Type. But the Pokéshifter Squad had no Water Type Pokéshifters to speak of.

They could only run away.

Luci shook her head. _No way am I going to run away. There's got to be something else we can do. Something…_

But before Luci could think of anything, two rapid blurs of colour shot out of the undergrowth and collided straight into her.

"Dammit, Arceus!"


	6. Chapter 6: Saved By A Legend

**Chapter Six: Saved By A Legend**

**_HAKU'S MIND WAS_** **filled with** a series of disjointed, technicolour images, revolving around and around in his subconscious like a whirlpool of weird dreams. He dreamed of a huge Pokémon which seemed to be fused together of many other Pokémon-a wriggling, squirming, red-eyed behemoth. The image warped into a distorted shadow with glowing maroon eyes of lava, then into a huge creature which seemed to be part bird, part dragon. The creature's gaping mouth was right up to his face, yelling something over and over again, but the words were whipped away from its mouth by a sudden gale-force wind.

_"__Wake up!"_ the creature yelled at the top of its lungs.

Haku resurfaced out of the ocean of his subconscious, spluttering and gasping.

The first thing he saw was a face, framed by wispy light-brown hair, with widened amber eyes.

Haku leaped backwards, only to collide his head with something hard. "Ouch…"

The owner of the face seemed unperturbed. She just sighed, and sank to the ground. "Well, at least he's woken up," she murmured, seemingly to herself.

Haku groaned again and sat up, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He placed his hand on the wall behind him, which he had smacked into. Rock. Solid rock. He then moved his hand to his abdomen, where a huge gaping wound should've been. The skin was smooth. _Strange. _Looking around, he saw that both he and the mysterious new girl seemed to be in a small cave, barely high enough for a ten-year-old to stand up in, about five metres wide, and about twelve metres from the mouth of the cave to the end. In one corner, a small blue rucksack was stowed, along with a fluffy cream-coloured blanket. Haku also noticed that an identical blanket was draped over himself. Haku couldn't really see anything out of the mouth of the cave, but he could tell the sun had just about set judging from the orange light filtering in.

_How long was I out? That sunset could be the sunset from the day after I was knocked out… _Haku mused.

Then he thought, _Knocked out?! That wound Naomi gave me should've been enough to kill me._

But it looked like he'd survived. And Haku wasn't going to argue with what all five of his senses were saying.

Haku looked back to the girl. She looked to be about his age, with wispy hair such a light shade of brown it was almost blonde. A few locks fell into her face, but most of it was pulled back into a ponytail. She had amber eyes, almost the exact same colour as Luci's, but not quite. She was wearing a reddish-pink sleeveless hoodie with matching shorts, and white trainers. Her hands were encased in red fingerless gloves, and around her neck hung a curious pendant which seemed to be made of two interlocking triangles of red and blue. She was gazing at the ceiling of the cave as if it was a star-filled midnight sky. But Haku knew that what she was really doing. She was staring into space, with her mind millions of miles away, thinking about something which had nothing to do with this time and this place. Haku knew this because he did it all the time himself.

Haku heard a single word escape from the girl's mouth as he watched her. "Ryuu…"

"Sorry, who's he?" Haku blurted before he could stop himself.

The girl sat up with a yelp. An oh-crap-did-I-really-just-say-that-out-loud expression spread across her face. "U-um… he was a friend of mine."

_Was?_ thought Haku. "Oh, um, I'm sorry…"

The girl looked up and noticed the expression in Haku's face. "Oh, no. He's not dead… or at least, I hope not. But he once went missing. That would be… almost two years, three months, from now, I suppose." She sighed. "Actually, he was a Latios Pokéshifter… my best friend. Only he disappeared without a trace whilst we were traveling together. I've been traveling solo since then, but all the time, I've been trying to find Ryuu. I get the feeling like he's still out there, somewhere."

_A _Latios _Pokéshifter? Now that's something you don't get every day. _It was true. Legendary Pokéshifters _were _extremely rare - in fact, Leone suspected it could be possible that all of them had been killed and captured. But maybe not.

Haku saw the girl's cheeks change to a light rose, and she began staring at the cave floor as if it was suddenly interesting. Haku rolled his eyes. "Best friend, huh? Reckon he was a bit more than that."

The girl yelped again as her cheeks changed from light rose to traffic-light crimson. Haku had to laugh.

This time the girl was the one to roll her eyes. "Not funny, Mister Wise Guy."

Haku turned his face away so the newcomer didn't see his huge grin. When he had recovered, he asked her, "Enough about this Ryuu guy. What about you? I guess we need to introduce ourselves. I'm guessing that you were the one who saved me back there." Haku bowed his head as if asking for forgiveness. "Thanks."

The girl's eyebrows rose. "Whoa. You sure catch on fast. But anyway, I'm Maddy. Maddy Khaze." She held out her hand for him to shake.

Haku took it. "You can honestly call me whatever you like. Yes, even 'Mister Wise Guy', I honestly won't mind. But my real name, if you want to know it, is Haku."

Maddy chuckled. "Like that dragon boy in _Spirited Away_?"

Haku rolled his eyes. He'd got that loads of times before. "Yes… I've been called "Kohaku River" before now, as well."

Maddy laughed again. "But what's your surname?"

Haku blinked. "Surname? I don't usually tell people my surname."

The light-haired girl frowned. "Why not?"

Haku shrugged. "I can't really explain it myself. But I'm the kind of person who doesn't like sharing too much information about himself. Whatever you find out about me, you'll usually learn it from what I do instead of what I say."

"Uh-huh," replied Maddy, sweat-dropping. "Er, you're an Absol Pokéshifter, right?"

"You were watching the fight?" Haku asked, interested.

In answer, Maddy nodded. "Yes."

Haku was silent for a while. He looked at Maddy for a minute, then looked out of the cave mouth towards the setting sun. The last shards of light were beginning to dip behind the horizon, casting an orange corona around the cave's two inhabitants as Haku concluded, "You're a Latias Pokéshifter, correct?"

Maddy spluttered disbelievingly. "You… how'd you figure that out?! I was pretty sure you were unconscious before I picked you up. Even if you were you wouldn't really have seen my face, either way."

Haku shrugged. "The way I see it, it's simple. Just before I fell unconscious I had a feeling as if I was flying. And then I wake up, and I'm in a cave, but the ground is nowhere in sight, which indicates we must be somewhere high up. And next thing I find? My wound is miraculously gone. The only realistic explanation I could come up with is that you healed me, presumably with Heal Pulse or Recover. Of course, there are many Pokémon with both flying and healing abilities. I was only sure of the fact that you were a Latias when you mentioned that your boyfriend Ryuu was a Latios Pokéshifter."

Maddy ignored Haku's mention of the word _boyfriend_. "What has that got to do with anything, though?" she asked.

"Nothing… only I remember once reading something about Eon Pokéshifters. Latias and Latios Pokéshifters are naturally attracted to one another because of the ancient bonds between the two species. It's actually a lot more complicated than that-"

"No thanks. I don't really want a lecture from you, Mister Wise Guy." Maddy shook her head. "You really are a Mister Wise Guy, though." The Latias Pokéshifter stuck her tongue out.

Haku sniggered. "Yeah. Guess you could put it that way."

Maddy stretched as far as the restricted space would allow. "Well, now that you've blown my cover, want to go for a sunset ride?"

Haku was actually confused by this question. It was an offer out of the blue. "Why now?"

The girl looked at him. "And you're the one who thinks he knows everything!" She rolled her eyes for the second time in the space of ten minutes. "Don't think I don't know about your little band. I watched the fight, remember? And I heard that Ekans girl say something about a _group_ of Pokéshifters. So I guessed there were more of you. And, honestly, I haven't met any other Pokéshifters in six years. I think it would be good to find some more. Us Pokéshifters should band together." She looked right at Haku. "And I suppose that you, Mister Wise Guy, know where to look."

Haku found himself nodding. After this Pokéshifter saved his life, the least he could really do was grant her request. Also, Haku knew how she felt-after being alone for so long, she desperately wanted to belong. She wanted to find others who she could relate to. Haku recalled how jubilant he'd felt when he first met Leone, Flara and Frinos at the Fight Area's harbour all those months ago. Even if they had been running from Genmi Incorporated at the time, they were all in it together. United in their plight.

Haku needed to go back, anyway. Most likely, Leone, Flara and the others had noticed he'd gone and were worried out of their minds. Besides, he had to tell them about Frinos, and the mysterious Pokéshifter who was working for Genmi.

Haku smiled. "Done deal, Maddy Khaze."

"Alright then. Bear in mind you'll have to fly on my back, while we're both in Pokémon form. That okay?"

"Sure." Haku had never known what it was like to fly, but he'd always thought it seemed like great fun.

"'Kay then. Once you're ready, shift then jump on my back." The young Pokéshifter then walked to the edge of the cave, and leapt off in free-fall.

By the time Haku had crawled to the cave's mouth, a bright red blur was already flitting around through the illuminated sky. The Latias stopped, flapping her strong wings in Haku's direction. Maddy looked almost exactly like the pictures of Latias he'd seen in Pokémon mythology books and novels, only she had noticeable amber eyes instead of the usual orange.

Looking down, Haku also saw the outside of the cave for the first time. He was near the top of a cliff lined with sparse vegetation. The cave he was in was just one of many similar-sized holes dotted across the sides of the outcrop. _Nesting holes for bird Pokémon, maybe? _Haku wondered.

Haku was broken out of his daze by a sharp, shrill Latias cry. "Alright, I'm coming, keep your wings on," he grumbled to himself before shifting.

Immediately he could understand perfectly what Maddy was saying. _"When you're ready, just jump," _she called. _"Even if you miss, I'll catch you."_

Haku was still a bit scared. Maddy was about five metres away from the mouth of the cave. He knew his powerful Absol legs could make that jump, easily. But if he missed, he'd go careening down the cliff into the rapidly flowing river just below.

Haku shook his head. He couldn't hesitate. So he mustered all the power he could in his legs and leapt, clearing the gap and landing safely, his fall cushioned by Latias down. _"Don't make me do that ever again," _he groaned.

The Latias Pokéshifter turned her head slightly, a sly look in her amber eyes. _"Ready? I suggest you hold on tightly."_

Haku braced himself, clinging to the Pokéshifter's back as securely as he could. _Oh, Arceus. What's she going to do now? Fly off at hyperspeed?_

This prediction was a bit of an exaggeration on what really happened. Latias Pokéshifters can't actually fly at hyperspeed, but they can get pretty close to the speed of sound. Maddy rocketed off with the Absol Pokéshifter at over one hundred miles an hour, smiling gleefully at the feel of the slipstream under her wings and the priceless expression on Haku's face. To anyone but the dynamic pair of Pokéshifters, all they would see as Haku and Maddy flew past would be a red blur streaking over the tips of the trees.

* * *

Leone blinked. Two people had suddenly burst out of the bushes and collided with Luci, before the three of them had bundled into a ball and rolled down a nearby depression into a muddy ditch.

It would've been hilariously funny, only Leone was immediately on her guard. Who were these two people? They couldn't be just anyone, as who in their right mind would go wondering in the woods just before nightfall? They could be enemies.

Growling, Luci injected an Aural shockwave into the two newcomers, blasting them backwards out of the ditch. They landed, dazed, not two metres from Leone. She took a good look at the pair of them.

One of them was obviously female. She had long, wavy, deep blue hair, and striking red eyes behind glasses pushed onto the bridge of her nose. Almost everything she was wearing was blue-a blue jacket, a blue shirt, a blue belt holding up blue jeans, even blue socks. The only thing she was wearing which wasn't blue were her jet-black boots.

The other was a teenage boy with dark, spiky hair. His eyes were a piercing red. He appeared to be wearing a long leather jacket, a baggy black shirt, a thick, silver-plated belt and long, dark jeans. He wore boots very similar to that of his accomplice.

Neither of them were dazed by Luci's Aura Sphere for long. In seconds, they were back on their feet. Both of them twisted their positions into fight stances.

Luci, meanwhile, leapt up to the lip of the ditch, and cast her amber eyes over the two humans. For a while, the four stood staring at each other unblinkingly. During this time, Luci could feel the strong presence of Aura wafting from the duo. This Aura was undoubtedly human Aura, only it had a queer tinge to it. Luci remembered she'd had that same feeling when she first met Flara in the forest the day before, looking for all appearances like your usual, everyday Flareon. But once you studied her Aural signature, it was way different from any other Flareon's.

_Could it be…? _Luci wondered. _Well, only one way to find out._

Luci closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was fully aware of the full Aura emanation of the forest. Right in front of her stood the two humans, surrounded by Aural energy. The energy twisted itself around them to form the shapes of two Pokémon. A Lucario, and an Umbreon.

_Definitely Pokéshifters, _was her first thought, then: _That girl is a Lucario Pokéshifter too?!_

Luci didn't know why she was so surprised, but she was. Perhaps it was too much to take in the revelation of Luci not being the last Pokéshifter, and also of Luci not being the last _Lucario _Pokéshifter, in the space of less than a week.

Luci knew she had to talk to them. Find out why they were here. Judging from Leone's confused look, she didn't know them. So they couldn't be other members of the Pokéshifter Squad that she hadn't been told about. But perhaps, even, they had seen Haku. So, without hesitating once, she shifted back into her human form. "Hi," she greeted them sheepishly.

Luci would've probably laughed at the two Pokéshifter's reactions to her shift if the situation had been less serious and if there wasn't a roaring, rapidly spreading wall of fire behind them which was by now less than a mile away. Both the boy and the girl had their mouths open almost as wide as they could go. Leone shot Luci a look which said, _"What the Houndour are you doing, you idiot?!"_

Luci ignored the look, and took a tentative step towards the other two Pokéshifters.

"Y-Y-you're a P-P-Po-" stuttered the girl disbelievingly.

Her companion's dark eyebrows rose. "She's a Pokéshifter, just spit it out already!"

"A Lucario, as well…" murmured the girl. "But what are you doing here?"

"What _we're _doing is our business," a slightly exasperated voice answered. The two Pokéshifters jumped and turned their heads in the direction of the Torterra. Only the Torterra was gone; in its place was a dark-skinned, curly-haired girl in her late teens, who fixed them with bright, piercing grass-green eyes.

"Don't tell me," said the blue-haired girl, "that you're a Pokéshifter too."

Leone shrugged. "I don't need to; it's obvious." Leone gestured in Luci's direction. "You can thank my good friend here for blowing our cover."

Luci glared at her. "I wouldn't have unless I thought it necessary. Besides, these two are also Pokéshifters, right?"

The only one who wasn't surprised at that remark was the blue-haired girl. The boy's red eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

"Aura perception," answered his friend, winking at him. "It's a Lucario thing."

"Oh," he muttered, sweat-dropping.

"Well, if you're Pokéshifters, I guess I have no cause to be suspicious. I guess we should introduce ourselves, huh?" Leone held out a hand to the blue-haired girl. "Leone Demetrio, Torterra Pokéshifter."

"My name's Sphaera. I'm a Lucario Pokéshifter," the girl replied, taking her hand.

The boy's red eyes flitted from Luci to Leone as he said, "Well, I'm Somber. And I'm an Umbreon Pokéshifter."

"I'm Luci Strider. And… well, you know." Luci found herself grinning.

Somber, at that point in time, happened to look backwards just as the burnt-out shell of a tree, flames flickering along its length, crashed across the path in front of them. The wall of flames itself was now barely two hundred metres away. "I find it kinda ironic how we're sitting here talking while we should really be running away from that fire."

"Good point," Leone agreed, grabbing Luci's arm. "We need to get back to camp. Warn Flara and Akari. Somber and Sphaera, you can come with us."

"Camp?" mused Sphaera questioningly.

"No time for questions - we've got to go!" Leone broke into a sprint as the three other Pokéshifters followed her, running at full pelt.

Luci managed to catch up to the Torterra Pokéshifter as the group dashed through the undergrowth. "What about Haku and Frinos?" she yelled.

As Leone turned her face towards her, Luci saw the older girl on the verge of tears. "I have no idea where they are. We're just going to have to hope that they didn't go near those flames.

"Because if they did, they're goners."

* * *

Tributes

-Maddy the Latias Pokeshifter created by LittleMissPokemon

-Sphaera the Lucario Pokeshifter and Somber the Umbreon Pokeshifter created by 17144071


	7. Chapter 7: Kept In The Dark

**Chapter Seven: Kept In The Dark**

**_NAOMI FLATTENED HERSELF _****against the** reinforced steel wall, almost obscured by the thick pipes and wires running along its length. She was back in her human form, because although she was more obvious, at least she could move faster. She crouched in a shadowy, deserted corridor as the workers filed past, carrying their burden.

Sneaking in had been surprisingly easy. The pair of workers didn't even bat an eyelid at her as she slithered in right behind them. Naomi guessed that the door had all sorts of tricky traps like motion sensors and laser scanners, but luckily for her all of those had been disabled the moment the workers had been admitted in.

The interior of The Forbidden Thing was just as daunting as the outside. Everywhere the teenage Ekans Pokéshifter looked, there was technological equipment she couldn't put a name to, and doors protected by titanium locks and retinal scans.

_Perhaps this place _is _a prison… _Naomi wondered.

Naomi stuck her head slightly into the corridor, looking from left to right. But there were no other workers or Pokémon in sight. So, after a quick double-check, she slipped out onto the main corridor and followed after the workers as quietly as she could.

She strode after them on the balls of her feet, stalking them like a Liepard.

The two men stopped as they reached an ominous looking, titanium-plated door bristling with scanners of every kind. Set above the door was a steel sign, pressed with the word "LABORATORY".

_Laboratory? Why would Genmi have a laboratory? _Now Naomi was really intrigued. She had to get in there, see what was going on. But she restrained herself. If those workers saw her, she had no idea what would happen, but she reckoned Atomica would probably explode if she ever found out about the Pokéshifter's little spree.

As the first worker was operating the complicated-looking scanners, as his colleague looked around, seemingly distant. Suddenly, his head whipped round.

Naomi threw herself into the nearest corridor, trying not to breathe too loudly. The adrenaline made her body jitter and shake all over.

The man's eyes narrowed, swivelling around the empty main corridor. "Hmm. That's strange…"

His companion looked up after the machine had finished his retinal scan. "What is it, Jonah?"

Jonah's brow creased in confusion. "I'm not too sure, but I thought I heard something breathing behind me… But when I turned around, there was nothing there."

_Damn! You were breathing too loudly, idiot, _Naomi silently growled at herself.

In answer, Jonah's colleague laughed. "Hahaha! Jonah, you've probably been watching too many of those horror movies again!" He patted him on the back playfully.

Jonah did not laugh back. "No… I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it, Olys."

Olys looked back at his partner, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Well, if you think the laboratory's haunted by some Ghost Type Pokémon, you can go inform Miss Atomica." Olys promptly produced a neon-blue card from his pocket, engraved with a maroon letter "G". He flicked the card over a laser scanner, and a green light winked on the side of huge doors.

With a loud _thunk_, the doors' seven locks simultaneously snapped open, and the two-metre thick panels of steel and titanium began to slowly slide apart. Olys and Jonah adjusted their grip on the Glaceon boy's stretcher and disappeared through the door into the enigmatic space beyond.

Naomi breathed out, glad she hadn't been discovered. But she wasn't exactly in Paradise yet. The behemoths that were the laboratory doors were already rapidly closing, and if Naomi didn't act fast, she'd lose her only chance at discovering exactly why The Forbidden Thing was so forbidden.

Naomi leapt up, twisting herself sideways to fit through the thinning gap in the doors. She made it through just before the doors clunked shut once again with another ominous _thunk_ of finality.

_Well, that was my last chance to leave. No going back now. _Naomi's adrenaline seemed to increase in intensity by tenfold.

Naomi rapidly shifted into an Ekans. Security, she reasoned, was likely to be very tight here.

She took a moment to observe the heart of The Forbidden Thing through her golden Ekans eyes. What she saw was almost swoon-worthy. Almost.

If someone had been impressed by the technology in the rest of the building, or indeed in the rest of Genmi Sinnoh Headquarters, then boy, they were in for a treat once they got to the laboratory.

Every square millimetre of the lab was taken up by some sort of high-tech gizmo. The walls, floor and ceiling were plastered with multi-coloured wires. In one corner, there was a huge machine which consisted of two perspex tubes connected by thick wires, with a plasma screen suspended above each tube. The screens displayed what looked like, to Naomi from her vantage point, many squiggly, undulating lines. The machine itself was fenced off from the rest of the lab by a dome of what looked like reinforced plastic. In another corner was what looked like a dubious hospital bed, surrounded by what could only be metal restraints and chains. Around the bed were situated stark-white cabinets and tables, bristling with what appeared to be syringes holding strange fluids of every colour and hue. Suspended from the ceiling of the lab was something which looked like it had come straight out of _The Matrix_. It was painted dark blue, with strange prongs coming off it, ending in curious yellow orbs. Above the enigmatic structure were two globular capsules large enough to contain a single person. Wires trailed off the machine, connecting it to the web scattered around the room. On one side of the room, more perspex tubes were lined up, filled with some sort of glowing liquid. Closer examination confirmed that each of the tubes was occupied by some indescribable _thing_. Naomi couldn't make out that much from where she was, but she wasn't entirely sure she actually wanted to get a closer glimpse.

Naomi blinked, wondering if she had somehow ended up on a set for the latest sci-fi movie. Then, having been dazzled by the machines, Naomi slowly became aware of the _people_ in the room.

Tall adult women and men scurried from machine to machine, frantically clacking on computer keyboards or hurriedly scribbling in notepads. They all wore spotless lab coats which swished just above their ankles as they walked.

There were also a number of grey-uniformed Genmi workers in the room. They appeared to be standing guard outside doors, or patrolling the lab like soldiers, their Pokémon trotting, flapping or crawling at their heels.

Naomi slunk underneath a bank of computers and hid from view, just before a worker marched past abreast a fearsome-looking Tauros. She panned her piercing golden eyes over to the two workers, Jonah and Olys, who were busy carting the young Glaceon Pokéshifter across the laboratory.

_I've got to keep on following them. Then I'll find out exactly what Genmi is doing with Pokéshifters in this place… _Naomi was getting a bad vibe from the room, however. The urge to leave was strong, as every neurone in the young Ekans Pokéshifter's body screamed for her to get out of the lab as fast as she could. The laboratory did seem, in the least to say, eerie.

But it kept her edging forwards, like she was being pulled in by an electromagnet. Her own, sheer, curiosity. She had got this far. Now, she was leaving with all the knowledge of the strange goings-on here, or she wasn't leaving at all.

Sticking to the shadows, Naomi crawled as an Ekans over the wires and under high-tech, constantly whirring machines, all the time following the sky-haired Pokéshifter. Olys and Jonah strode purposefully down the line of perspex tubes, and Naomi slithered after them. Doing so, she got a glimpse of the tubes which she would never get out of her mind.

Naomi couldn't decide whether each of the tubes held a human, or a Pokémon. Or maybe a mixture of the two. In the nearest tube, a form barely recognisable as a human boy floated in the neon fluid. His body was huge, bloated and bulky, knobbly in places like a rocky cliff. His face was grotesquely distorted, his eyes barely visible under folds of knobbly flesh. Twin wings sprouted from his back, dark and twisted at sickening angles.

The next tube held something which looked like two teenage girls with their bodies welded together by Superglue. Their mismatched eyes stared lifelessly into the murky liquid, their mouths slack.

The young Pokéshifter decided that if she was any more squeamish, she would've puked. She instantly regretted coming this close to the tubes. But she couldn't look away, or move away. The sight had transfixed her, and the shadows cast by the cylinders of perspex were Naomi's only cover from the bright halogen strips of the lab.

Naomi shuddered slightly after the tubes had disappeared from view, half in anticipation and half in relief. The uneasiness inside her intensified, but still she kept going.

Up ahead, the workers Jonah and Olys made to turn left. Olys pushed his weight against a steel door, his pale green eyes staring through the gap into the corridor. Jonah appeared to take a deep breath before meekly following after him.

Naomi wondered briefly whether he was still convinced a Ghost Type Pokémon was breathing down his back. _No way, idiot. The only pursuer you've got is me. And I'm a _Poison_ Type._

Once again, Naomi was forced to slither ever faster, tucking her beaded tail through the door just before it swung shut. Naomi suddenly winced as she noticed the sight before her.

A long corridor stretched from left to right, endless. The far ends were lost in darkness. On both sides were countless rooms, fenced off from the rest of the corridor by reinforced glass and steel. Each of the rooms had a barred door with a tight electronic lock. And in each of the rooms was a single person.

From what Naomi could see, most of them were in their teenage years, but some were adult, and some were young children. Olys and Jonah bypassed the captives, popping open the door of an empty cell and unceremoniously shoving the Glaceon Pokéshifter off the stretcher and onto the bench. After checking the door was shut, the workers in their bleak grey uniforms sauntered out of the room. Naomi dashed into the shadows as they passed her, leaving through the same door they had entered. The heavy door shut with an ominous click.

The silence was absolute. None of the prisoners even looked up as Naomi shifted back into her human form, wary of another worker or scientist about to burst in through the door.

_What's going on here? _Naomi wondered, confused. _If Atomica said she was going to interrogate the Pokéshifters, they why's she locking them up in some lab, never to be heard from again?_

Naomi couldn't understand it. She found herself edging towards the nearest cell. Her eyes widened as she recognised the young boy who was sealed inside.

His soft brown eyes were downcast, and his mop of chestnut hair, much longer than when Naomi had last seen him, fell into his face as he cuddled his bedraggled Teddiursa plushie to his chest. It was the same plushie he had been clutching as Naomi had knocked him out several months ago; though it had lost half a leg, an ear and an eye since then. Naomi remembered; this boy was the younger brother of a particularly boisterous Ursaring Pokéshifter. The boy himself could actually shift into a Teddiursa which was very similar-looking to his cuddly toy.

Naomi recalled the day when she had apprehended them. The pair of Pokéshifters had taken refuge in an old block of flats in Hearthome City which were falling into disrepair, a corner of the world everyone else had forgotten about. Atomica had told Naomi and Xerno to investigate it, as supposedly it was the site for a mass gathering of rogue Pokéshifters.

Instead of the hundreds of Pokéshifters she'd been expecting, Naomi only found two young boys, one about six, the other roughly her age. Naomi made to knock them out, but the older boy had transformed into an Ursaring and retaliated in his rage. It had been a long fight, but the Ekans had finally prevailed and knocked both Pokéshifters out cold, before Xerno had hauled them back to HQ. Since then, Naomi had almost completely forgotten about them.

_"__Naomi, these are rogue Pokéshifters. They're ruthless. They're bent on using their powers to conquer the world… and they don't care who gets in their way; they'll beat them bloody. You understand? These Pokéshifters are a danger to society. That's why we're here. Genmi Incorporated is committed to bringing these Pokéshifters to justice. Maybe even, in time, we'll get them to turn over a new leaf." _The words of Atomica Genmi reverberated in the depths of Naomi's mind. Words that Naomi had believed at first, but were struggling to justify now. What she was seeing with her own eyes didn't fit in with her words at all. Naomi may have had a rough way of dealing with things, but separating young kids from their siblings and parents and locking them up in some strange laboratory hardly seemed like _justice_ to her.

The Teddiursa Pokéshifter was no older than six. He was covered in cuts and bruises and dirt. The whites of his eyes were almost crimson from crying. Naomi, the girl who wouldn't hesitate to pick a fight with one who pissed her off, was feeling a pang at the sight of the sad, pitiful little kid, hunched, clutching his toy and staring at the floor.

_Sorry, kid, _Naomi thought ruefully. _But my business is elsewhere. _She managed to tear her eyeballs away from the six-year-old, and made to walk briskly past, on her way to the cell which held the Glaceon Pokéshifter. _Perhaps he knows what's going on here. Besides, what _are _rogue Pokéshifters like anyway? _It was true Naomi had never talked to one by way of conversation before.

Suddenly, the squeaky, high-pitched tone of a young child, distorted by the plastic walls, pierced the air. "W-wait!"

Naomi leapt almost three feet in the air as she whipped round. "Shut up!" she whispered urgently, glaring at the boy. "You'll give me away!" Naomi panned her golden irises around the corridor, scanning warily for workers and scientists.

The boy's chocolate eyes widened in recognition. "I know you! You're… you're… you're that meanie girl who hurt Urso!" He pouted, eyes blurring with tears. "Meanie!"

The young Pokéshifter then screwed his face up, and in a sudden outburst threw a long string of insults at Naomi, some of which were not insults you usually heard a six-year-old utter.

"Conker, shut up! Do you want them to take you away again?"

At the sound of the new voice, the little kid fell silent, slumping and clutching his Teddiursa closer to his chest.

Naomi blinked. She knew that voice. The recently broken, deepening voice of a boy approaching his late teens. She swivelled her head.

In the cell opposite, with his spiky, tousled chestnut hair and narrowed brown eyes, was the Ursaring Pokéshifter, Conker's older brother.

"You!" he directed at Naomi. "What are you…" He trailed off, frowning. "You… you're a Pokéshifter, right?" As Naomi swiftly nodded, the Ursaring Pokéshifter's eyebrows slanted further. "Then how come they haven't locked you up here with the rest of us?"

"I work for them," Naomi muttered.

"You _what?!_"

Naomi turned on her heel, heading towards the blue-haired boy's cell. "I'm sorry, but I have work to do. And it doesn't concern you at all," Naomi retorted. She tried to ignore the big boy's impatient, angry wall-banging and shouts of "Hey, get back here! I'm not done with you yet!" but couldn't quite get rid of the feeling of guilt rising in the pit of her stomach.

_I condemned them to this. Me, and me only. I knocked them out and dragged them back here, believing they were rogues… And Arceus knows what's happening to them here. Not interrogation, that's for sure._

_Glaceon Pokéshifter first, _Naomi told herself. _Then maybe I could work something out with those two._

The Ekans Pokéshifter stopped outside the Glaceon's cell. His chestnut eyes were half-closed, and he seemed to be gazing out of the slits at the halogen-lit ceiling. It was impossible to tell whether he was awake or not.

Naomi slapped her palm on the perspex three times, calling, "Wakey-wakey. Rise and shine."

When he didn't respond, Naomi began slamming her fist into the wall and yelled as loudly as she dared, "Wake up, git!"

"U-uh…" he mumbled, eyes opening a fraction and swivelling to face Naomi. "H… hey…. You look funny… like a pineapple… haha…" His voice came out slow and dreary, as if he'd been drugged.

_He's still in Lalalaland, _Naomi mentally groaned. "Sorry to bring you out of whatever wonderful dream, concerning pineapples, that you were having, but I need to ask you something. Something. Important."

"Important…?" The Pokéshifter muttered drowsily, sitting up. He then became fully aware of his surroundings, seemingly for the first time. "Wait… what!? Where am I?!" he garbled.

Naomi sighed in exasperation. "Welcome back to reality. Took you long enough."

The boy's chestnut eyes met her own. "Y-you…? Wait a second… you are…" The whites of his eyes showed as the memory came flooding back. "You were with that guy from Genmi… the one with the Emboar!"

Naomi found herself nodding. "That's Xerno. He's my bodyguard… well, actually, my partner. I don't really need a bodyguard. I can look after myself." There was a slight hint of subtle aloofness in her voice.

"Wait… he's your…" It took a moment's contemplation for the blue-haired boy to realise what she had just said. "You work for Genmi Incorporated? But you're a Pokéshifter! I'm pretty sure I saw you shift into an Ekans back in Eterna."

"Yes, I am a Pokéshifter, and I work for them. Got a problem?"

The teen's azure eyebrows met in a frown. "Of course I have a problem! Those are the same people who… who…" He looked down abruptly, his partially-singed hair hiding his facial features. "T-they… k-killed my parents…" he stammered, hardly able to speak from his lip wobbling so violently.

Naomi absorbed this. "T-they did? Why?"

The male Pokéshifter looked up and met her gaze. "Because they wanted to kidnap me and my sister."

"Was that because you're rogues?"

He blinked in confusion. "Rogues? What do you mean, 'rogues'?"

"I mean, you're one of those evil Pokéshifters who are plotting on using their powers to conquer the world and enslave all Pokémon and humans."

Much to Naomi's surprise, the Glaceon Pokéshifter burst out laughing. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" he guffawed breathlessly. "Where'd you read that?"

Anger began to rise like steam in Naomi's body. "I didn't read it, my boss told me. And I trust her with my life," she spat. "And this isn't your place to talk, rogue!"

But as soon as those words were out of her mouth, Naomi began to question them. _Do I really trust Atomica? _she wondered. _She did help me out when she didn't have to… but what's with all these Pokéshifters locked away down here?_

Something was definitely suspicious about that for sure.

_Didn't Atomica say she was going to try and get the rogue Pokéshifters to turn over a new leaf?_

This didn't look like 'turning over a new leaf'. This looked like permanent solitary confinement.

"I… uh… I mean-" Naomi began.

The boy behind the perspex wall shakily stood up. "Oh, I know what you mean all right. I'm not a genius - that's Haku's job - but I can sure tell what's going on here. Somehow, you were brainwashed by those arseholes from Genmi…" He slammed one fist into his other palm. "Wow, they've gone so low that if they went any lower, they'd reach the centre of the earth."

Naomi was only half-conscious of all the Pokéshifters around her intently observing her conversation. Eyes of every colour were swivelled in the two Pokéshifters' direction. She was dimly aware of the Ursaring Pokéshifter, who had given up his wall-banging and was instead up against the door, trying to listen in.

Naomi opened her mouth to respond, but she was cut off by an unmistakable creaking sound.

_The door! Someone's… someone's coming!_

Naomi panicked and shifted, slithering across the floor as fast as she could, ignoring the Glaceon boy's bewildered stare.

She only managed to clear a couple of metres before she felt an electric charge zap through her body, chucking her forwards and forcing her cells to revert back to human form.

Gritting her teeth, she struggled to her knees and looked back over her shoulder.

Atomica Genmi wore a smug smile, and triumph shone in her maroon eyes. "If you want to attack me, go ahead," she proclaimed casually. "Porygon-Z will only hit you with another of his famous Zap Cannons."

Naomi took a wary glance at the erratic Pokémon, revolving in its omnipresent position above Atomica's head. Its body moved in an awkward, jagged way as most Porygon-Z do, but its eyes were strange. Rolling around in their sockets and never resting on one point for more than a second at a time.

The young Ekans Pokéshifter tried to ignore the Pokémon, concentrating instead on Genmi and the two workers flanking her. In a flash, she realised it was Jonah and Olys.

_Did Jonah tell her then? About the supposed Ghost Type? And did Atomica perhaps put two and two together? She must've noticed I was missing from my dorm…_

Naomi's eyebrows met in a purple V. "What's going on here?" she demanded brusquely.

Atomica spread her hands. "I should be asking you that question, really, Naomi. I thought we agreed that this building is off-limits. It's quite a dangerous place, and not at all suitable for little girls to be running around in."

"_Little girls?!_" Naomi spat. "Hardly! I'm seventeen years old!"

Atomica's smugness faded, and her piercing eyes narrowed. "In that case, you're old enough to know your place."

Before Naomi could ask what she meant by that, the older woman had withdrawn a hand into her ebony blazer and pulled out a state-of-the-art, dubious-looking gun, and aimed it at Naomi's forehead.

She sighed almost sadly. "Oh, why does everything have to have an expiry date?"

She fired.

* * *

Cinnabar wisps of flame were closing in, rapidly devouring every living thing they touched. Akari could hardly breathe from the smoke, darkening the air around them.

Flara seemed to be unfazed, however. _Must be because she's a Fire-Type… and she's got the Flash Fire ability too, _the Togetic Pokéshifter thought with a slight twinge of jealousy. _Any flames which happen to touch her wouldn't even hurt her._

Akari felt useless. The flames were surrounding the camp, making a huge, scorching ring around them. Trees toppled dangerously close to the tent Akari, Luci and Flara were sharing. And she couldn't do anything.

Then, a notion occurred to her.

"F-Flara?" she whispered.

The older Flareon Pokéshifter's messy orangey-red tresses whirled as she turned her head. "What?"

"U-um… what if I fly up… and then you can get away by running through the flames…"

"No!" said Flara forcefully, causing Akari to jump. "We're not leaving. We're looking after the camp; there are some things here we can't afford to lose!"

"S-some things more important than our l-lives?" Akari stammered questioningly.

Flara facepalmed, realising what she had just said. "Ugh… this puts me in a difficult position. I'm not used to being the leader around here…" She began to pan her chestnut-brown eyes around the depression. "Nope. No openings." She slammed a fist into her open palm. "What we need right now is for some Water Type Pokéshifters to be available…"

Akari said nothing. _Well, the chances of Water Types just passing by at this moment in time… would be ridiculously small, I guess._

But just as Akari was thinking that, she could've sworn three shapes, black against the stark light of the flames, leapt out of the high branches of a nearby tree and melted into the forest.

_Was that…_

Akari never completed her thought. Three thuds were heard behind her, and Flara began urgently prodding her in the back.

"Akari! Come have a look at this…"

Akari whipped round.

A trio of young people, none older than twenty, were arranged in a line on the scorched forest floor. Two girls and one boy.

Akari made a job of trying to take in as much detail of the newcomer's appearances as she could.

On the right stood a dark-skinned girl, with cornrows pulled up into a bunch and secured by a forest green scrunchie. She sported curious mismatched eyes of cerulean and dark green. Despite the gravity of the situation the girl looked casual and relaxed, her mouth stretched in a large, playful grin, her hands in the pockets of her navy-blue hiking shorts. She also wore a Hawaiian beach T-shirt, dyed in flowery patterns of every hue of green, and shoes matching the colour of her scrunchie. Her green-and-blue striped socks reached just below the knee.

Akari's eyes moved to the figure on the left. A tall, distant-looking boy in his late teens, with wild, long black hair streaked with blue, running down his back from a short ponytail. A worried and shifty expression was framed in his orange eyes, set above curious zig-zag, whisker-like markings on his cheeks, not that different from Flara's own. The boy wore a padded, cobalt raincoat with a fluffy orange hood and sleeves, plain jeans, and dark blue shoes tied with black laces.

Finally, Akari turned towards the girl in the centre. She was stood slightly in front of the others, making it look like she was the leader around here, despite seemingly being the youngest of the bunch. Bright indigo eyes shone behind likewise coloured glasses as a cascade of wavy cobalt locks tumbled like a raging river down to her shoulders. A long fringe was kept out of her eyes by an orange, blue and green sweatband, in which the pattern seemed to depict a sun. Her cheeks were dotted with freckles, and her skin had a slight tan. Her dress code consisted of a hooded, zipped-up jacket almost the same deep blue as her hair, lime-coloured shorts and sea-green sandals.

The girl's eyes twitched from Akari to Flara, before widening slightly as she smiled.

"You two wanted Water-Type Pokéshifters? Well, you got 'em."


	8. Chapter 8: The Masked Escapist

**Chapter Eight: The Masked Escapist**

**_PINPRICKS OF ILLUMINATION_** **from light-years** away, shining through an ebony sky; diamonds dappled over a coat of velvet. The ancient light of those distant stars reflected in the violet and amber irises of two Pokéshifters silently cruising over the moonlit forest.

Haku had somewhat relaxed his grip on his Latias companion's back, not just because Maddy had slowed somewhat from tiredness, but because the stars had come out. The last dregs of the sunset were nothing but a faint tinge of greenish-yellow on the horizon by this hour.

Night was Haku's favourite time. He knew that his Dark Type powers were amplified during moonlight hours, but he also knew that wasn't the main reason for his fascination of the post-dusk era. It was more because one of Haku's favourite hobbies was gazing at those celestial lanterns, and wondering what was out there.

The hours spent reading about space, the night sky and all things extra-terrestrial had made Haku an expert. He could name all the constellations in the night sky, as well as having the capacity to rant about every known planet for hours. But he had a special fascination for alien Pokémon; as many enigmas as there were surrounding Pokémon today, none were as shrouded in mystery as much as that of Pokémon hailing from the depths of outer space.

Deoxys, revived from the genes of a virus attached to an asteroid; the Clefairy and their Moon Stone spaceship which supposedly brought them here from the silver orb currently shining brightly in the cosmos; and Elgyem, a Pokémon which had long since made its home in the Celestial Tower of the Unova region.

But Haku knew that they had barely scraped the tip of the iceberg when it came to extra-terrestrial Pokémon – there were so many others out there, just waiting to be discovered. Pokémon with amazing, impossible abilities that any living on this planet could never possess.

These thoughts flowed once again through Haku's mind as he gazed skywards, simply wondering.

Maddy, however, was feeling a lot less serene than the Absol Pokéshifter at that present moment in time.

_"__Mister Wise Guy!" _she yelled, practically Screeching in an attempt to get the entranced Pokéshifter to hear her. _"Do you realise that it's been two hours and we _still_ haven't found your mates' camp yet?!"_

_"__Huh-uh?" _Haku, in his Absol form, tore his mauve eyes away from the sky to meet the amber Latias orbs. Instantly berating himself for letting himself get distracted, he muttered, _"Sorry, Maddy. I've never traversed the forest in this way before, you see; plus I didn't have the right orientation. That cliff where you've made your home isn't a part of the woods which I know too well."_

Maddy sighed. _"Oh, excuses, excuses…" _She meant to sound exasperated, but Haku could sense the smile underneath.

_Always full of humour, this one._

_"__So I suppose the best course of action now would be to rest and carry on in the morning-"_

_"__No!" _Maddy replied forcefully. _"We can't do that. Remember the fire?"_

Haku nodded, not wanting particularly to remember it. Had the flames died out by now?

As they had cruised along, they had both seen huge swathes of forest reduced to blackened, branchless spires, and as it had got darker, it had become even more difficult to see anything. But the weirdest thing was that there were no more signs of fire; not even when the sun went down, when any remaining flames would show up starkly.

Suddenly, they had all just… disappeared.

Of course, that wasn't a bad thing. But what Haku was puzzled about was how it seemed to defy all logical reason.

It would have taken two armies of Blastoise to tackle that huge fire – and it had spread out over such a wide area in such a short space of time, it seemed impossible for any Water-Type to get it under control.

_It wouldn't have mattered anyway. Not many Water-Types call Eterna Forest home, and I know for a fact there are none in the Squad._

It was also true that Haku had been worried about his friends – after all, with a fire like that, how long would it be before it reached the camp? But the sudden, impossible disappearance of the blaze itself caused him to subconsciously relax, and so he had let himself space out.

He was regretting it now; although the flames seemed to have utterly disappeared, Haku sensed there was something more than suspicious about it.

_"__The fire…" _Haku mused.

_"__Yes, Mister Wise Guy. The F-I-R-E." _Once again, Haku noted the laugh under her sarcasm. _"It's gone now, but your friends must've got caught up in it, right?" _She didn't pause for an answer. _"Yeah, so there must be some pretty powerful Water-Type Pokéshifters in your squad in order to-"_

_"__There aren't any Water-Type Pokéshifters in the squad," _Haku interjected, feeling it was way past his turn to interrupt.

Complete silence from Maddy as she digested this.

_"__Then… how?" _Her voice seemed to fade into nothingness as she spoke; the look etched on her Latias features portrayed the personality of a girl quite unlike the sassy, bubbly and humorous vibe Haku had got from her before. Now she looked confused, desperate; almost distraught.

Haku didn't answer her question immediately. He tore his eyes away from her face to gaze around at the miles of forest, punctuated by emergents and moss-lined cliffs at random intervals.

It seemed just like your regular moonlit forest; treetops sparkling under the light of stars, darkness filling every gap and hole beneath the canopy.

You could only see it if you _knew _it was there.

Luckily, Haku knew what he was searching for.

A very faint distortion around the edges of his vision, similar to a heat shimmer. Once Haku had found it, though, it seemed all too obvious. He became slowly more aware, until it seemed as though the Pokéshifter was gazing at the world through a sheet of clingfilm.

_Of course. I knew it. That's the only possible explanation… Aside from the fact that the Pokémon which caused this isn't found anywhere in the Sinnoh region._

_That means…_

But before Haku could finish his thought, or indeed tell any of this to Maddy (who by this point was as confused as hell), things got even more confusing than they already were.

The landscape around them disappeared, utterly, suddenly. Neither Pokéshifter could see each other in the supreme darkness that ensued.

There was no time for screams, or yells of bewilderment and confusion.

All too soon, the darkness tightened around them.

* * *

Naomi was petrified.

The bullet from the modified gun broke the sound barrier as it flew across those short centimetres of air; at point-blank range, the slug was headed straight for the Ekans Pokéshifter's heart.

Even though it happened within milliseconds, for Naomi, the bullet's journey seemed to take many minutes longer.

The _crack _of the bullet's impact reverberated around the room; every captive Pokéshifter was frozen in sheer shock.

Naomi's golden eyes snapped open.

The first thing she registered was that she was feeling no pain.

_I'm already dead…? Well, that was quick…_

But whatever her subconscious garbled, all five of her senses were screaming the opposite.

And then there was the second thing.

Inbetween Naomi and Atomica was a taller-than-average teenage girl, with her cascading hair her most prominent feature. It reached her mid-back, and was coloured an intoxicating purple, with streaks of black, silver and red running through it like electricity through a matrix of wires.

The girl had her back to her, so Naomi couldn't see her face, however the vestiges of a recently-used Protect shimmering around her were as plain as day.

_Did this person… just save me?_

Naomi stood up shakily, self-consciously imagining how weak and scared she must look. But she found she was lacking the ability to care; she was completely intrigued by the scene folding before her eyes.

Atomica's smugness had now completely dissipated, replaced only by irritated confusion. Glaring at the girl before her out of her unnatural maroon eyes, she took a step backwards. Jonah and Olys had gone further; they were now cowering behind their employer, with Porygon-Z gazing at them out of its erratic eyes in fascination.

Atomica, meanwhile, seemed to be so furious she was having trouble speaking. "You… _you… _How'd _you _get in here?!"

The newcomer answered in an even, smooth voice, as if she didn't have a care in the world; although there was a stern and steely undertone to her words.

"Very simply. There are many entrances both into and out of this building. As for how I managed to wait and bide my time – well, no-one ever looks _up _when they enter a room, do they?"

Atomica switched her glaring gaze to the ceiling for a few seconds, before turning back again. "How long?" she demanded, her anger rendering her unable to form a full sentence.

"Not too long. I infiltrated the facility about an hour ago, and spent half an hour reaching this area. You can do the maths now."

Naomi caught a hint of snobbishness in the girl's speech, and imagined her face in a hideously smug smile.

_Oh, Arceus, not _another _Atomica in the house, please._

So she was surprised when the girl turned her head slightly, allowing Naomi an overview of her facial features. Seemingly emotionless, her mouth was tight, her purplish eyebrows fixed. She looked tense and serious, but not angry. In fact, her face wasn't really exerting any emotions at all.

_So, she's a masked escapist, huh?_

"And you." Naomi almost jumped as she realised the girl was talking to her. "You work for these people, yet you are a Pokéshifter. I had never considered any of my own kind to go so low."

That touched a sore spot for Naomi. She wanted to Wrap this girl head to toe, or at least open her mouth to give a fitting retort. But something was stopping her.

Naomi could deduce that the obstacle was not physical, but something else… a move? An Ability, perhaps? Or maybe it was just simply the way the new girl was gazing back at Naomi out of her hazel eyes.

After giving the Ekans Pokéshifter several seconds to reply, she switched her gaze back again to Atomica. "So be it," she called back over her shoulder. "I'm sure you had your reasons."

Though, from the way she said it, Naomi could tell she thought that whatever her _reasons _may be, they couldn't be valid.

"Why?" Naomi blurted before she could stop herself. "Why go to all this trouble to save me, if you see me like some traitorous git?"

The girl still didn't turn around, but Naomi heard an unmistakeable sigh.

"Because I didn't wish to see you dead," she replied almost sadly, completely ignoring Naomi's accusation.

Naomi blinked. A simple answer, and not one she was entirely expecting, but one she could understand.

Before Naomi could answer her, however, a harsh, condescending laugh, more like cackle, filled the air. It was Atomica, of course – practically throwing her head back in a mocking guffaw.

"Oh, Jean, Jean, Jean! I do know exactly why you are here… How could I forget? That incident with your brothers… I knew that you would, eventually, return to the scene of the crime after that.

"But, alas! They are not here. It appears you have wasted good time and effort, Jean… Not to mention having walked right into the hands of your enemies." The scientist's last sentence was punctuated by a nasty grin.

The Ekans Pokéshifter frowned at the other girl's back. _So, Miss Atomica… and this girl, Jean, know each other? Guess it's a small world after all…_

Naomi, an expert on reading body language (it had become something of a habit for her to try and predict another's next move), noticed Jean's body completely tense up and go utterly rigid. Just as Jean had hit Naomi's sore spot, Atomica had clearly hit a sore spot within the other girl.

The next time she spoke, the words, despite portraying stoic confidence, seemed to catch slightly in her throat; and were underlayered with a supreme feeling of loss. "…What makes you think I've come here _just _for my brothers? I might've infiltrated this building to try and set free all those here who have fallen victim to your heinous experiments – such as _I_ did. Which shows how much you know. You're selfish, Atomica, and that one-track mind of yours only permits you to be able to think and care about yourself. Of course, I'm not like you – I wouldn't expect you to understand. Besides, what makes you think I've _walked into the hands of my enemies? _You underestimate me – don't think I haven't had the foresight to come prepared on this particular excursion to your very own Headquarters."

Atomica genuinely seemed shocked at this tirade, coming from the Pokéshifter before her. However, it was the last sentence which seemed to concern her the most.

"You didn't…"

In answer, a solitary nod.

Atomica's reaction was, in the least to say, explosive. She seemed to grow a foot taller in her rage, and her eyes became a piercing scarlet as opposed to the original burgundy. "Check the doors, and be quick about it!" she snapped at Jonah and Olys.

The two workers scrambled to obey her command – there was no telling what Atomica might do once her temper was fully unleashed. Slamming his body into the door, Olys declared, "It's locked, and locked tight. Someone must have overridden the code."

"Gah!" Jonah managed to duck from a punch thrown by Atomica's enraged flailing. "I've had it with you, Pokéshifter! Do you know how many PokéDollars were spent on upgrading the security features of this building? Do you have any idea of the trouble you've caused?!"

Jean simply stood there and let the scientist's rant wash over her. Naomi was impressed.

_If I was her, I'd have throttled her to the ground by now, _mused the Ekans Pokéshifter.

"You know what?! I don't care anymore. I don't care what your ingenious plot is, how you got in here, how you cracked the security code, what you plan to do. I don't even care about keeping you alive anymore, regardless of whatever amazing powers you supposedly possess. I've only ever seen them in action once, and I'll tell you, it was pitiful!" Atomica growled.

Jean still said nothing.

"Fine, you uptight bitch. Considering you got in the way of me killing the other traitor, you can die first!" Atomica cocked her weapon, readying it while simultaneously shifting into a fight stance. "Porygon-Z, use Zap Cannon and make sure it hits!"

A series of curious squeaks and whistles emanated from the said Pokémon as it prepared its Zap Cannon. A sparkling, electrified golden-yellow orb appeared between Porygon-Z's two detached arms.

Naomi's eyes widened, showing white. _If that hits…_

A split second later, the Zap Cannon had let fly in a brilliant flash, colliding in a direct hit with its target. Naomi had to shield her eyes from the impact's light.

Once the stars had faded, and Naomi could see clearly, a deep-purple Genesect whose head reached her chinline was standing before her. Glittering shards of Protect danced around its form, still crackling with electricity.

It didn't take long for Naomi to put two and two together. _She… that girl's a… Genesect Pokéshifter? But… that's a legendary Pokémon, right?_

And Naomi knew that legendary Pokéshifters were rarer than rare.

Atomica appeared to be the only person in the room who was not surprised by that fact. She only seemed to become even more irritated, if that was actually possible. "Y-you… you… arrrgh! Use Tri Attack, Porygon-Z!"

Watching Jean deftly dodge the tri-coloured attack, Naomi couldn't help but think that she had this battle covered. The Ekans Pokéshifter couldn't help but a feel a pang of jealousy, however; she couldn't remember the last time she'd met a Pokéshifter stronger than herself.

Slinking away, Naomi found herself, quite by chance, outside the Ursaring boy's cell. He looked annoyed, which wasn't really a surprise.

"Oi, go do something decent for once in your sad life, and get us outta here," he rumbled, glaring out of chocolate irises.

Before Naomi could respond, he continued: "Yeah, so don't listen to what I say. 'Cos I'm a feckin' _rogue. _But I doubt you feel so trustworthy of them humans anymore, considering one tried to shoot you."

Naomi gave him her own glare by way of response. "Well, maybe I feel a bit less trustworthy of you, _rogue, _than that human. After all, how am I supposed to know that you won't try the same?"

That _really _hit the spot for the Ursaring Pokéshifter.

"What-? You… even after all that?!" he gasped. Under less serious circumstances, Naomi would've laughed at his priceless expression.

She sighed. "So gullible. How do you expect to get anywhere in this world?"

That statement caused the boy to frown. "What is that supposed to-"

Crossing her arms, Naomi's golden gaze met the brown. "It doesn't matter. Just tell me how I can open all these things at once. Even if you try and attack me, get revenge, or whatever, I'm sure I could pummel you to the ground again using just my pinkie."

The Pokéshifter behind the glass gave out a growl very fitting to that of his spirit Pokémon. "You're asking for it, lady!"

He paused after that outburst, seemingly trying to compose himself. "Whatever. You see, opposite me? Next to that guy with the blue hair. On the left side of his cell you'll find a switch. Just break the plastic covering – I'm sure you can do that – and press it."

Naomi laughed out loud. "Yep, because you couldn't break that covering if you tried," she taunted before racing to the opposite side of the corridor.

_Challenge accepted, you lug of an Ursaring._

Still smirking, she gazed up at the large, red button set in roughly the centre of the wall, about an inch above her own head. A plastic safety cover was nailed over it with a keypad stationed beside it – nothing Naomi couldn't handle.

_A well-aimed Poison Sting should do the trick._

The wily Ekans girl innately glanced from left to right.

To the left was just a dark corridor and many cells filled with Pokéshifters.

Glancing to the right offered a more intense scene – Jean and Atomica were practically tearing up the walls with their battle, but what mattered was whether that scientist was utterly engrossed by the Genesect Pokéshifter or not. Thankfully, she was.

Jonah and Olys, meanwhile, weren't much of a threat. Even if they weren't too busy cowering and attempting to meekly slink away, Naomi knew the only Pokémon they owned were a pair of Poochyena almost as cowardly as their masters.

So, now sure that there were no witnesses (apart from the twenty or so Pokéshifters in the immediate vicinity, of course), Naomi prepared to shift.

The transformation was instantaneous, with Naomi being used to it by now – skin becoming scales and her arms and legs merging back into her body; the familiar feeling of her body shrinking, then elongating.

The teenager, now Pokémon, opened her mouth to eject the venomous barbs inside.

_Should I go all out at full power? Might as well._

Naomi let fly with all the force that she had. Each individual Poison Sting hit its mark, easily piercing the seal. After a few seconds, the cracks marring the surface were so numerous the casing just simply shattered.

It's a pity; I could've described Naomi's hilarious victory dance to you had about thirty klaxons stationed around the room not squealed at that particular moment.

_Holy Arceus, _Naomi thought, berating herself. _I should've seen that coming…_

But she didn't waste any time dawdling. She shifted back, leapt up and slammed her palm down on that button with all her power.

Atomica truly was a sight to see. The noise emitting from the Genmi successor's mouth was a cacophony of banshees – like a band of Exploud trebling their power of Hyper Voice.

Jean stopped in mid-Hyper Beam, the orange-white glow dissipating from her cannon abruptly. After staring, utterly confused, at the shrieking Atomica, she whipped round and met Naomi's gaze.

The Ekans Pokéshifter was sure that her hazel Genesect eyes widened in surprise, if only for a moment.

Jonah and Olys's reaction was simply to become even more freaked out. The other Pokéshifters, however, had a mixture of different emotions.

As the perspex barricade separating them from the outside world swung open, some of them stood almost petrified in shock, unable to move until instinct finally kicked in. Others made a huge show of it, bounding out the door enthusiastically and spreading their limbs wide as if to say, "Ah!~ Freedom tastes sweet!" Some simply walked out their cells casually as if nothing had even happened. Some dashed out as humans, or in Pokémon form.

The Ursaring Pokéshifter, one of the first out, gave Naomi what she guessed was supposed to be his best glare and declared, "I'll leave it for now because you set me and my brother free, but remember: we have a score to settle! And don't think that I'll go easy on you just 'cos you're a girl!" And with that, he dashed off, presumably to find his baby brother the Teddiursa Pokéshifter.

The blue-haired Pokéshifter next-door to Naomi, however, seemed to have gone back to sleep.

_Not again?! You have to be joking._

Naomi's innate reaction was to charge headlong into the cell and shake the beaten-up Pokéshifter back and forth like an Earthquake simulator.

"PINEAPPLES!" garbled the Glaceon boy. Naomi assumed he must've lost it after his run-in with herself and Xerno; after all, she'd heard of something like this before. Shell-shock? Or post-traumatic stress? Something like that anyway.

"No more pineapples for you, mister, until we get you out of here," Naomi grunted, dragging the boy back out into the corridor, which was now a torrential river of escaping Pokéshifters.

Glancing all around, Naomi could not distinguish any signs of Jean within the deluge. But she could be anywhere.

_Why do I care? _Naomi wondered._ Okay, so she saved my life, but… She's more than capable of looking after herself; I saw that with my own eyes. Besides, _I'm _the priority here. Looking after myself and no-one else… that's always been the way I lived until now._

But now… there was the small matter of the Glaceon Pokéshifter.

Despite Naomi's sudden attachment to him – as in using him as a means of finding out what rogue Pokéshifters _really _were – a little voice at the back of her mind were finding many reasons for her to leave him behind.

Just from looking at him, he seemed too weak to even walk on his own – the brittle hair, the bruised skin; one ankle was twisted at an awkward angle and the cuts on his head were still haemorrhaging. His brown eyes drooped, half-closed as if he was about to drop off to sleep. He seemed barely conscious.

If Naomi were to take him with her, he would undoubtedly slow her down and restrict her movement. And even if it weren't obvious, Naomi's instinct told her that that button push had not automatically granted her a ticket out of the woods. There were bound to be guards, security blocks, and perhaps more tricky traps. It was each Pokéshifter for themselves; no-one was going to stop and help anyone who got left behind. Taking the Glaceon Pokéshifter could spell the end for both him and Naomi.

_It's logical, but…_

But.

Naomi knew, in her heart of hearts, that there was no way she could leave the boy here.

After all, she'd gone to a lot of trouble getting to him, hadn't she?

And if he was left here, it was likely that he'd either be doomed to eternal captivity or used as an outlet for Atomica's wrath.

Naomi just couldn't let that happen.

So, decision made, she spread the weight of the groaning, semi-conscious boy across her shoulders and turned in the direction of the many dozens – no, hundreds – of Pokéshifters were fleeing.

"And where do you think _you're _going?"

That voice – Naomi had once thought of it as a sophisticated, respectable voice, one that was worth listening to.

Now she found she hated the sound of it.

Still holding the Glaceon Pokéshifter, she whipped round, shifting the lower half of her body as she did so. Her morphed Ekans tail cracked through the air like a whip, making a satisfying impact.

Atomica was thrown through the air and somehow missed colliding with any Pokéshifters before smashing into the far wall.

"Why, Naomi…" murmured the scientist. No longer ranting or yelling, she seemed to have calmed down a bit, though the anger still bubbled beneath the surface. "You were my biggest asset. Why would you ever betray me? Think of all I did for you. Taking you in off the streets voluntarily, where you were living like a beggar. I gave you food, shelter, all the things you needed, even a purpose in life. And this is how you repay me? _Betrayal?!_"

Maroon irises met gold as the two stared each other down.

Naomi, admittedly, felt a twinge at her words, but her conscience told her they were nothing more than emotional blackmail.

"Well, I heard that people don't like being shot at," she answered simply, before hefting her burden and shooting off down the corridor.

* * *

Tributes

-Jean the Genesect Pokeshifter created by 26823670


	9. Chapter 9: Azure Blues

**Chapter Nine: Azure Blues**

**_MANY GALLONS OF _****pure H2O** disappeared into the fire's seething core per second from the three Water-Type Pokéshifters, but it didn't seem to be making much difference.

A Wartortle's BubbleBeam, a Ludicolo's Surf, and a Swampert's Hydro Pump; even being combined into one super-attack, the might of the flames rendered them useless.

Well, not entirely useless. But, at present, Flara felt she could only define something as being useful if it had the capacity to extinguish this fire.

_Face it. Nothing's gonna bring this thing down. You know it too, Flara… the only option is to get out of here._

The last thing Flara wanted to do was to heed the advice of that voice.

But watching those three Pokéshifters, expending all their energy into attacks which were resulting to nothing – Flara couldn't just sit there like a Snorlax in a coma.

Pumping her fist and gritting her teeth, she muttered, "Right."

Akari, who appeared to have heard her, turned her head in the direction of the fiery-haired girl.

"It's Ingenious-Planning Time."

If Leone, Frinos or Haku were there, they would've recognised this sentence as a sign that Flara was about to conjure up a kooky plot which was either crazy or stupid, or an about-equal mixture of the two. Usually these "Ingenious Plans" of Flara's had two outcomes; a) to make a complete and utter fool of herself, and b) to land herself and everyone around her even deeper into the shit.

Akari, however, just simply asked, "What are you going to do?"

Flara didn't answer straight away, her chestnut irises appearing orange in the embers' light as she gazed straight forwards.

Several seconds later, Flara emitted a jubilant yelp whilst leaping a few inches into the air. Akari jumped in shock.

"Ohhh yeah! Why didn't I think of THAT, of all things, before? Arceus, this could be the answer to all our problems." She chuckled. "Ha ha, Arceus…"

"S-so… you've got a plan, then?" inquired Akari.

"Heck yes!"

"U-um, so… how does it w-work?"

"Very simply. Watch the master and you will see."

For the first time, Akari noted that Flara's grin had a slightly insane edge to it. "B-but… Hydrus and the others are already t-trying to put the fire out. I-if there's no other Water-Types, then w-what else can we do?"

"A lot," replied Flara, tapping the side of her olive-toned nose. "All you have to do is be... resourceful. Heh, I love that word; Leone had to explain the meaning of it three times before it fully stuck! Ha ha!"

"…Resourceful…?" Akari echoed questioningly.

"Be right back." The Flareon Pokeshifter zipped off at the speed of an out-of-control Donphan. Bursting into Leone's tent and rummaging through the stacks of clothes and food supplies (the Torterra Pokéshifter would've strangled her had she been on hand), Flara found, hidden in the folds of an expensive-looking mahogany case, what she was looking for.

"Alright! Fire, you'd better be ready now!"

Dashing back out, she halted beside Akari, who looked utterly nonplussed.

"Hey, what's with that expression? See, you've got no cause to be worried now – this is the answer to all our problems!" She promptly held up a purely sky-blue flute fashioned of blown glass; the design was beautiful, yet simple. Flara held it aloft as if it were holy.

Akari looked confused. "S-sorry… I-I don't know what that is."

"No kidding?! It's an Azure Flute!" She took a deep breath, as if preparing to enter full rant mode. "An extremely rare item. It's legendary, in fact! I'll tell ya what I heard about it; it's spoken about only in myths, lost throughout centuries, it's existed since the dawn of time – no before, actually! According to ancient texts it can be used to summon Arceus…" Her grin's insanity seemed to intensify. "And…! If we summon that Pokémon, it'll be able to help us with anything – literally, anything! It created the entire universe, you know? So putting out this fire would be a piece of cake!"

The blonde's brown eyes widened. "R-really…?" she uttered, as if she did not quite believe Flara's theory, but wished it was true.

"'Course, ya silly. We went through a ton to get this baby. There was a heist at this museum in Celestic Town, you see. Reckon it was some band of Team Galactic wannabes. Anyway, we had snuck out in the museum's attic, and in the confusion they almost discovered us. Naturally, we shifted and knocked 'em out. Leone discovered the Azure Flute on one of them. As you can imagine, we were damn surprised to find this particular, practically legendary item being kept in this tiny little museum. Deciding that the thing would be best kept in our possession, we left Celestic and traipsed through Mt. Coronet until we got here. It's lucky we didn't decide to give it back to the curator, huh? We'd be in a right ol' fix right now!"

Akari tried to absorb all of this through Flara's unnaturally hyperactive speech. But the Flareon Pokéshifter hardly waited for that to happen – she just put the beautiful flute to her lips and blew.

Flara didn't really think about what sort of sound might come out of the fragile-looking instrument. An ancient, melodical song, perhaps? An echoing tone which reverberated throughout the area?

She definitely didn't expect _nothing_. Of course, that was exactly what came out of the flute.

"Huh?" She promptly held it up, as if inspecting it. "This thing… it doesn't require batteries, right?" Putting it to her lips again, she blew harder – so hard, in fact, that the sheer force of the blown air caused the flimsy flute to crack and then shatter.

"Oh, Holy Mother of Zorua!" She gazed down guiltily at the shards of glass shining like glitter at her feet. "That's not good, is it?"

Akari looked up, blushing, as if she were the one who'd cocked it all up. "U-uh… can we still summon Arceus now?"

Flara didn't answer. She looked genuinely distraught.

"Hey! You two – Flara and Akari, right?"

It was the cobalt-haired one, the one who had introduced herself as Avia the Wartortle Pokéshifter. Her previous confident gait had subdued, as now she looked almost as worried as Akari.

"Um… s-sorry." Her voice caught. "But even our combined efforts can't bring down this fire. We're specialised in forest fires, so when we heard of this one we practically flew over – but this one's too big for even the Watershifter Trio to handle."

Along with Avia, her two friends in the form of a hulking Swampert and a cheery Ludicolo had come along. Blue light surrounded them like watery force-fields as they shifted back into their human forms.

All three of them looked more than battered and bruised. They seemed as if they'd hiked through a jungle for a couple of weeks before dashing headlong into a bonfire (which, technically, they had done). Despite being Water-Type and so supposedly resistant to fire, even their hair hadn't escaped being singed.

They definitely looked as if they were trying to make the best of the situation, though. Or at least, one was.

"Don't be such a downer, Avia – it ain't like you!" proclaimed the Ludicolo girl, patting her friend on the shoulder comfortingly. "I'm pretty sure there's a way of bringing this bad boy down."

Flara squinted. If her memory served her well, she reckoned this girl was named Jubilee. So far, it was proving apt – in the short minutes for which they had known each other, Flara hadn't seen that cheery grin leave the teenager's face.

Clearly the oldest and the only male present, the Swampert Pokéshifter had a much more sombre attitude. His orange eyes were downcast as he spoke: "Jubilee, that's great and all… I know we like to think that there's no fire we can't take down. But this one's out of control – it's impossible. If only we had gotten here quicker…"

"Hey, wait a sec. I was the one who dragged you into all of this," blurted Flara. "So, if ya gonna be mad at anyone, be mad at me." She smiled, but it wasn't her usual crazy grin – it was a sad smile, a kind of smile which she'd rarely expressed before. "I was dumb to even think of attempting this. I shouldn'ta got you guys involved."

To Akari and Flara's surprise, Jubilee actually laughed at that statement. "Well, it wasn't like we died, was it? Besides, we volunteered! We love doing this sort of thing – and if it's challenging, then it's all the better!"

Hydrus, the Swampert, had an almost haunted look in his irises. "Yes, but… we'll all be dead if we don't start getting out of here now."

As if to emphasise his point, the burning skeleton of what once was a tree collapsed with a melodramatic groan right onto the camo-canvas of Flara's tent.

It was too much for the Flareon Pokéshifter – she actually screamed.

"Gyaaaaah! My tent! I left all the Sitrus Berries I foraged in there, and I don't like them cooked!"

A corner of Flara's mind was silently relieved at that point that Leone wasn't there – she would have probably backhanded her had she been on hand to hear that sentence.

"Flara? Akari? Are you two in there?" Leone's voice cut through the trees and the flames.

_Oh, speak of a Houndoom…_

Four shadowy figures, distorted by the heat haze, vaulted rapidly over the blazing, blackened husk of the ancient oak and stampeded towards them, there features becoming more defined as they approached.

The two in front Flara could easily recognise as Leone and Luci. Sprinting right behind them were two people she could easily declare as unfamiliar.

Leone wasted no time – Flara had to give her that. Grasping the sixteen-year-old Flareon Pokéshifter's shoulders, she shook her back and forth, as if checking that she wasn't broken.

"Thank Arceus, you're alive!" she yelled, letting go of her so suddenly Flara almost landed on her buttocks. "Right, everyone, we all need to get out of here. No point fighting this fire…"

She trailed off as Luci began poking her expectantly in the shoulder. With the other hand, she gestured somewhat awkwardly at Avia, Jubilee and Hydrus.

"Oh. Hi," she greeted, waving.

The three Water-Types waved back sheepishly.

Flara peered over Leone's shoulder at the two new arrivals. "Um, who are-"

It was then that Flara got her backhand.

"I said, we need to get out of here. Right. Now."

"Where's Haku and F-frinos-" began Akari.

"Right! Now!" roared Leone at a volume a Loudred would find hard to best.

There were no more questions asked. The entire nine-strong group turned and ran from the camp rapidly being consumed by flames. To some of them, the camp had been their home for numerous months. To others, it was merely an arrangement of tents in a grove.

Either way, they never once looked back.

Despite her immunity to carbon monoxide poisoning, Flara found it a struggle to keep up with the others. It took several seconds of haphazard dashing through scorching undergrowth for her to reach Leone.

"Uh, Leone… You know, that Azure Flute we found at Celestic Town…?"

The only answer the Torterra Pokéshifter gave was a dismissive grunt amongst strained and ragged breaths.

Flara continued anyway. "Well… I kinda tried to use it to summon Arceus back there. But… but when I blew into it, it… sh-shattered."

Leone now actually turned her head so her grass-green irises locked onto Flara's own. She couldn't decide if her gaze was incredulous, outraged or utterly perplexed. Flara settled for a mixture of all three.

"No… Even you cannot be that dense."

"Huh?" Ferna asked, puzzled.

"You… complete and utter… moron," she uttered between breaths. "The thing you blew… was… a replica. Besides," she gasped, "The real… the real Azure Flute… has to be played atop… Spear Pillar and… with other special… conditions, in order to… summon Ar-Arceus," she finished, wheezing.

A long pause from Flara.

"….Oh."

* * *

Everything ached for Frinos.

His head, his arms, his hands and fingers, his legs, feet and toes; his abdomen, torso and his arse. Trying to move, he found he was practically paralysed by the pain.

Or maybe he was dead.

_Gee, I never expected death to be this painful, though._

An angry voice sliced through the darkness so abruptly Frinos almost spasmed in shock.

"Are you dead? Because if you are, I'm going right into the afterlife to pull you right back. I risked my life trying to save you, moron. So be grateful."

_Yes, I am dead,_ Frinos wanted to reply. _So just go away and leave me in peace to die._

A sigh. "Not happening," proclaimed the voice, as if hearing the Pokéshifter's thoughts. Then Frinos felt his mouth being forcibly yanked open, and a foul tasting liquid sloshed inside. Judging by the flavour, it was one of those ground-up herbal medicines stirred into a drink – a Revival Herb, perhaps.

It happened like lightning. Frinos bolted upright, before doubling over, coughing and retching.

"Nice." Frinos looked up to see a girl not much older than he was take a step backwards with a look of utter disgust on her sharp features.

He blinked as he recognised the cascading violet hair and the gleaming golden eyes. "You…?" he choked out.

"Who else?" the girl snapped. "Seriously though, what does it take to get you to wake up?"

Frinos coughed again. "A lot."

She looked as if she might slap him, but then seemed to forfeit the idea, and instead let out a very long, very exasperated sigh. "You idiotic git. Passing out from dehydration and exhaustion back there, or maybe a mixture of both – who can say?"

Frinos's chestnut eyes squinted in confusion as his memories flooded back. "Exhaustion? Dehydration? …Wait. Aren't you technically responsible for that?"

"No," huffed the girl, turning her face away. "That was Xerno."

It was Frinos's turn to sigh, knowing that he wasn't likely to find out who Xerno was any time soon.

"Don't mind her," called another voice from behind Frinos, this one bright and cheerful. A second girl bobbed into view, her shoulder-length mauve locks streaking across her face and magenta-coloured eyes gazing at him warmly. "She's dead mean!"

Frinos nodded noncommittally in response from his curled-up sitting position on the grassy ground.

_Grass? I must be outside…_

It was definitely true that he wasn't in his cell anymore. The three of them were surrounded by forest, but Frinos could tell that it wasn't Eterna – and not just because of the fact it wasn't burning down. Dawn sunlight dappled the ground in a pinkish glow.

Unless he was dreaming, he had somehow gotten out of his cell to… this place. But even his memories of that perspex chamber in the laboratory was hazy, and as for anything after that, well, it was just an empty void. His last clear memory was of fighting, and losing, against a massive, hulking Emboar whose flames seemed to burn with unnatural strength.

"Where am I?" he wondered aloud.

"Just a little bit east of Eterna City! That's where we regrouped, anyway. We're in the woods just outside Mt. Coronet. Or that's what they told me… I'm kinda new to Sinnoh, see."

Looking back over his shoulder, Frinos could easily see the mysterious peak of Sinnoh's tallest mountain scraping the heavens. About halfway down the rugged rock face, a band of cloud obscured everything above it.

The girl continued. "…So… yeah. And don't worry about those creepy scientists. That Genesect girl said we'd be safe here, at least for now."

Frinos used the support of a nearby tree to shakily get to his feet. Sifting through his hazy memories of the lab, he recalled that many Pokéshifters were being held there other than just him. "The other Pokéshifters… where are…" He struggled to stay standing as another coughing fit racked his frame.

The girl's eyes widened in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah…" He managed a weak smile. "J-just hurts…"

Lavender hair fell over her face as she stared at the ground. "I-I'm sorry! It's the after effects of Morning Sun. Harnessing the power of the dawn to heal can cause a few after-effects of aching… but it'll clear up. Should do."

Even as she said that, Frinos felt his pain recede. "You healed me? Gee, thanks." He even managed a short chuckle. "So, what's your name? You're a Pokéshifter too, right?"

She abruptly sprang back up, beaming. "Asuka! And yes – I'm an Espeon Pokéshifter!"

Frinos nodded, his smile widening. "Cool. I'm Frinos, and I'm a Glaceon Pokéshifter."

Asuka actually leapt forward and hugged him, tight around his middle. "Yaaay! Eevee evolutions are the best, aren't they?"

"Yeah!" Frinos agreed, laughing and hugging her back.

"You two lovebirds can stay here – I'm going to tell Jean that you finally came back from your trip with the Fairy-Types," muttered the golden-eyed girl. Getting up, she looked back once at the two Eevee evolutions before shuffling off through the trees.

Asuka pulled back out of the embrace. "See what I mean by mean? That kid's got issues!"

Frinos didn't answer as he watched the Ekans Pokéshifter leave. One of his hazy memories resurfaced as his conversation with the girl – she really did sound as if she'd been brainwashed by that dubious organisation, Genmi.

She had been working for them… but was she now?

_Unlikely. I saw her boss try to shoot her before I passed out. Plus, if she still worked for them, surely she wouldn't be here._

Then, _Can we really trust her?_

There were too many questions, and not enough answers. But the only way of finding out was asking.

Straightening himself against the tree, Frinos turned back to Asuka. "How did I get here anyway?"

The Espeon Pokéshifter shrugged. "I'm not too sure – you were one of the last to arrive. But it was that same girl with the golden eyes who brought you here. Carrying you must've taken a lot out of her. She passed out on the grass almost immediately."

Frinos blinked. _That same, uncaring Ekans Pokéshifter… really did that? Why didn't she just leave me behind?_

Meanwhile, Asuka shrugged. "I still think she's mean."

Then, the mauve-haired teenager brightened. "So, I'll go take you to meet everyone, then! You wanted to anyway, didn't you?"

Frinos nodded. "Yep."

"Well, come on then!" she sang, bounding off and then pausing when she noticed that her new friend hadn't moved. "Oh… can you walk?"

"I can try," breathed Frinos, pushing himself off the tree and wobbling slightly as he regained his balance. One foot in front of the other, shakily at first, but becoming stronger and more confident as he got back into his stride. He grinned at Asuka, concluding, "I can walk."

"Great!" The Espeon girl skipped off, Frinos going as fast as he could manage to keep up.

"Hey, I'm still recovering from that Morning Sun, y'know!"

Asuka just laughed.

_She reminds me so much of Flara…_

Frinos felt a pang at the memory of his sister. Come to think, where was she now? Back at the camp? Or looking for him?

I'll see her again, and the rest of the Squad, he told himself. I just have to stay hopeful.

* * *

"It's that meanie, Urso! It's that girl with the snakey bum-face!"

Naomi was far too used to insults to respond, especially when they happened to come from the mouth of a six-year-old. She would've utterly bypassed the kid had his annoying brother not decided to intervene and block Naomi's path.

"Hey, I thought we were going to have our fight?" the Ursaring Pokéshifter (whom Naomi now knew as Urso) asked, although from his tone it sounded more like a demand.

"Not right now; I don't have time to waste on you. So get out of my way unless you want a faceful of Acid."

"Oh, please," Urso chortled cynically. "You keep this tough act on, but you're as mushy inside as a bowl of mashed potato. Why save that other kid if you weren't?"

_He saw me do that? Crap…_

Naomi growled, and lunged at the Ursaring Pokéshifter, slugging him in the solar plexus.

"Oof," gasped Urso, letting his pain show, but then reverting to a nonchalant expression, one chestnut eyebrow disappearing into his coffee-coloured fringe. "That the best you can do?"

A simple, clichéd insult – not one Naomi thought worthy of getting riled over. But she knew that what Urso had said was true.

"Yeah, you meanie. You can't beat Urso!" squealed Urso's infuriating younger brother, Chester. Although Conker was his pet name, and used much more often – mainly due to his adoration of the spiky-shelled seeds. He carried several in his left hand, the right firmly clasped in his brother's.

Naomi turned to leave, grunting, "I said, I don't have time for worthless weaklings like you."

With that, she swaggered off, in much the same fashion as she did back at Genmi's laboratory when the two reunited for the first time. She smirked as she felt the Pokéshifter's furious glare on her back.

It's way too easy to provoke him.

Continuing through the throng of Pokéshifters, Naomi navigated the crude, temporary bivouac which had been set up for the previous night.

Naomi had to admit that that Jean girl didn't waste any time. She had the Pokéshifters up and running, packing up the makeshift tents (which were practically just wooden teepees lashed together using the vines of several Grass-Type Pokéshifters) and covering fires; doing everything they could to avoid potentially getting tracked. They even tried to smooth out the mud they had trampled, but even for one hundred and twenty-plus Pokéshifters, that was proving difficult.

_I've got to hand it to that Genesect girl. Even if she is a stuck-up old arse, she has all the makings of a natural leader. I mean, she only just met all these Pokéshifters, and yet they look up to her like she's their mum or something. Doing everything she tells them to…_

Of course, Naomi would never admit this type of thing out loud.

Naomi found Jean near the centre of the grove they had camped out in. To her surprise, she wasn't sitting around being fanned by her adoring disciples (which happened to be an image the Ekans Pokéshifter had conjured up). Instead, she was working her sweat with the rest of them – packing up what little supplies they had, making sure to cover their tracks and checking up on everyone. She would occasionally issue orders but seemed indifferent to all the attention she was getting; her face remained impassive and deadpan, not seeming to care that so many Pokéshifters were gazing at her like she was their saviour.

_Well, she technically is. And a legendary, to boot. But it's not like she's a god, or a queen, or anything. _

Although she was practically in the Genesect Pokéshifter's line of sight, Jean didn't seem to see her. It was true that she was multitasking; untying one of the makeshift teepees whilst talking to two girls and a Houndoom who were standing nearby. The Houndoom was busy destroying the evidence – crunching up a pile of branches with its flaming canines. Meanwhile, the two girls, both of a similar age and possibly a little younger than Naomi, stood abreast, both leaning against a tree.

One had her arms folded, with a serious and somewhat grumpy expression. Her indigo-azure hair complimented piercing ice-blue eyes, which were stark against her pale complexion. The blue jacket she wore was frayed at the edges, punk-style, though it was probably the result of wear and tear rather than her being part of a rowdy band. Her gossamer skirt and thick boots were almost the exact hue of her eyes, and she seemed to radiate an Aura cold enough to freeze the Sun.

Her companion seemed a complete opposite – leaning her whole weight against the tree, arms behind her head, a chilled-out smile, one foot in front of the other – laid back and utterly relaxed. Fiery hair cascaded almost over her dark green eyes, set in an olive-skinned face and peering out as if amused at the sight around her. A lime jacket was left unzipped, revealing an orange shirt underneath, and her green trousers were held up with a brown belt.

They noticed Naomi before Jean did. The first, blue-haired, girl, almost immediately looked away, but the super-chilled redhead offered a wave and a welcoming smile.

Naomi ignored them and took another step towards Jean.

"Jean, I came to tell you that-"

The said Pokéshifter abruptly turned around, fixing Naomi with her hazel eyes. "Naomi…?" She sounded surprised, though looked unperturbed. "I was just wondering where you were."

Blinking, Naomi cocked her head. "Why?"

She grunted and moved her face away. "As much as I mistrust you, there's a certain… thing I need to send some Pokéshifters to investigate, and I can't help but think that you would be a valuable asset for the job."

Naomi folded her arms. "Cut to the chase."

"Yesterday, as we passed through Eterna City, I picked up on many a strange tale. Recounts of shop looters, who appeared humanoid when caught on camera but dashed away much faster than any human could ever hope to replicate."

"You think they might be Pokéshifters?"

"Yes, but not just any Pokéshifters. _Free_ Pokéshifters."

"Meaning?"

Jean seemed to supress herself from sighing. "We don't have to go on a huge rescue mission – we can just approach them, and, in that way, recruit them."

"Ah," Naomi nodded, then frowned. "Wait… recruitment?"

"With that despicable organisation, Genmi, around, it is imperative that our kind stay together. The more we have on our side, the easier it will be to liberate other Pokéshifters. Maybe, if we get enough manpower, we will be able to thwart their scheme once and for all."

Naomi shrugged. "Well, that's all well and good, but I'll tell ya - Genmi is a massive, international organisation. They've got no shortage of people and Pokémon, and those people and Pokémon can do… crazy stuff." Shuddering, she remembered how easily Xerno's Emboar had caused that forest fire which had spread abnormally quickly. "Not many people know about them and also, they're backed up by the government." She spread her hands. "Sorry, kid. But your dream's a bit too big for the world, you see."

Jean's jaw tightened and her balled fists shook. Her next words caught. "I don't care," she muttered. "Who are you to say that, anyway?"

Naomi took an innate step backwards as Jean's eyes abruptly changed colour. The resulting hue was orange.

That's never a good sign…

"Fine, fine!" Naomi exclaimed. "I'll go find out about these Pokéshifters for you! Just tell me where and when!"

She realised that she had put her arms up to protect her face. Arceus, this girl is good, really good…

A sigh from the Genesect Pokéshifter as her eyes reverted back to hazel.

"Never mind, Naomi. Just don't… try my patience. Not when you don't know what I've been through."

Naomi breathed out. "So…"

"Yes. I'm going to send you to investigate Eterna City, but considering that you're a former associate of Genmi Inc., I'm not going to send you alone."

_Great. I love chaperones,_ Naomi thought sarcastically.

Jean simply gestured at the Pokéshifters behind her: the two girls and the Houndoom, who had now shifted into the human form of a teenage boy with short, messy ash-grey hair, a black short-sleeved shirt and reddish trousers.

"Naomi, meet Alice, Flandre, and Piko. Piko, Flandre and Alice, meet Naomi."

Before anyone could say anything else, Naomi announced, "Well then, I guess that makes me team leader. You inexperienced young-'uns will have to listen to me."

The indigo-haired girl, the one Jean had pointed out as Alice, scowled. "_Inexperienced!?_ I doubt you even know the meaning of the word!"

Jean stepped in, sensing a full-scale fight being on the verge of breaking out. "Okay, alright, let's look at it this way; there's no team leader for this mission. You four are just going to have to learn to work together as equals. Alright?"

"Not alright," grumbled Alice, but then nodded reluctantly. "Fine…"

Flandre, the redhead, smiled at her. "D'aw, you're so cold towards strangers! Just chill out, girl! But then again… you are an Ice-Type." She chuckled. "Pardon the bad pun, guys."

Alice gave her an incredulous look. Meanwhile, Piko, the Houndoom, said nothing.

After looking at all three of them in turn, Naomi felt she had to ask. "Why pick us four out of all the hundreds of Pokéshifters here?"

Jean looked right at her. "Alice and Flandre both shift into Pokémon with flying abilities. They'll be able to help you and Piko out if necessary. Naomi, you are an Ekans, so you can fit through tight spaces and hide yourself easily. And Piko's a Houndoom; her nose can track anything, even if she gets a tiny whiff. Add it all up and you get possibly the best tracking team in the world."

_Yeah, sure,_ Naomi thought, glancing sideways at Alice. _If we were actually compatible, then maybe._

Then she realised which pronoun Jean had used to refer to Piko. "Wait a sec… he's… she's… a girl?!"

Jean retained her poker face at that remark, but the Houndoom Pokéshifter's reaction was nothing short of a volcanic eruption. She pounced on Naomi, and looked ready to sink her fangs into her neck as she pinned the Ekans Pokéshifter to the ground, snarling.

"I get that a lot," she growled, "but to this day I still get mad at people who mistake me for a boy. So don't do it. Ever. Again."

With that, Piko got up, leaving a glaring Naomi to pick herself up and rejoin Alice and Flandre, who were both looking like they had seen this all before.

"Well, now that you're all acquainted," continued Jean as if nothing had happened, "do you understand what you need to do?"

"Yeah. We go to Eterna and investigate this rumour of there being other Pokéshifters about, and, if possible, bring 'em back here," Flandre explained. "Easy, like a piece of lemon-squeezy drizzle cake!"

She laughed at her own portmanteau of the two expressions as Alice glared at her coldly.

"Well, I guess you're good to go. Good luck and stay safe. And don't kill each other."

And with that, Jean resumed untying the teepee's Vine Whip bondings, letting the branches clatter to the ground.

"Let's go." Piko took the first step forward, Alice and Flandre following behind.

Flandre actually looked slightly worried. "I hope that Jean's last remark was a joke. Jokes are always better than serious, after all…"

"You know, I really wouldn't put it past her. She really doesn't seem like the jokey type. Unlike you," Alice pointed out. "Your jokes were so annoying I had half a mind to kill you once we got released!"

Flandre grinned at her. "Now that was a joke!"

Alice sighed. "Yes, I suppose so… you know me too well. A result of being cooped up next to each other for several months, I suppose…"

_Right… so that must be how they tolerate each other despite being almost utter opposites. I suppose having only that person to talk to does help in that, but if I had to be jailmates with Jean, I would probably go insane._

Naomi was broken out of her thoughts as a voice called out from behind, "Wait up!"

All four Pokéshifters turned around, but Naomi was the single most surprised beholder.

It was none other but the Glaceon Pokéshifter and the annoying girl she had left him with. Clearly still not fully recovered, the blue-haired boy was panting and leaning slightly on his companion.

"I heard you were hunting for other Pokéshifters," he gasped, managing a weak smile. "Well, I know where some might be."

* * *

Tributes

-Piko the Houndoom Pokeshifter created by 26473980

-Alice the As-Yet Unknown Pokeshifter created by PlayTheJoker

-Flandre the As-Yet Unknown Pokeshifter created by ShikiOfTheDead

-Asuka the Espeon Pokeshifter created by miyukiandaura


	10. Chapter 10: Metals Or Petals

**Chapter Ten: Metals Or Petals**

**_STRIP LIGHTING. GLARING _****white. Streaming** through metal bars.

As a groggy Haku slowly became more and more aware of his surroundings, his brain formed a thought: _This is it. They've got us now._

Haku's body shuddered in dreaded anticipation. He'd only been captured by Genmi once before. But it had been a hellish experience he knew he'd probably never forget.

Another shudder as he realised that Frinos could be in the exact same situation, right now… because he had failed him. Haku had lost pathetically against that Ekans Pokéshifter, and, even with the help of his new friend Maddy, he hadn't even managed to get back to the camp and tell the Squad.

_I'm sorry, Frinos…_ he mentally apologised, even though he knew it would count for nothing. He felt tears prick at his eyes, salt water dangerously close to spilling out in a rapid waterfall.

_But… I'm hardly going to help anyone just lying here, am I?_

The Pokéshifter sat up, rubbing savagely at his eyes with the sleeve of his black wool jacket.

_Huh… I must've changed back to human form when I was out._

It wasn't uncommon for a Pokéshifter. Usually, while unconscious, they had no control over their transformations and so tended to revert from one form to another, especially if they were having a particularly terrifying nightmare.

He looked back over his shoulder and noticed Maddy, sleeping like a Snorlax, still in Latias form. She was out cold, but Haku, being pressed against her side due to the size of the tiny cage the duo were sealed in, could feel the living warmth emanating from her.

Taking a deep breath, he stared out at the room beyond the cage. To his surprise, it looked nothing like a lab. In fact, it looked like the workshop or storage room of someone who had an obsession with metal things – because literally everything in the room was metallic some way or another.

In one corner, there was a pile of scrap metal which almost reached the roof. Along one side, there seemed to be an entire row dedicated to dissembled machinery. And the walls were hung with every metal tool Haku could think of – spanners, screwdrivers, hammers, forks, spoons, helmets, and even a metal Teddiursa toy.

The only entrance in and out of the room Haku could see was to his left, just beyond an oil-stained wooden workshop table. His eyes locked onto it.

_There. That's where we need to go._

Haku decided that his first step of useful action would be to analyse the cage – and look for weaknesses.

_Primarily – it is electrified or not?_

If it wasn't, then the cage would be infinitely easier to break out of.

The teen unbuckled his belt, unravelling it from his jeans and placing the metal buckle against the cross-hatched bars of the cage.

Keeping his fingers far away from the buckle, he waited for a full two minutes. But there wasn't a spark.

Satisfied, he tentatively touched one bar with his fingertip. But it was just your usual cold, hard steel which greeted him – no electrocutions or burning sensations.

Next, the door.

He couldn't see too much from the inside, but Haku could tell that the lock wasn't the most sophisticated he'd ever seen. No card slot, not even a keypad. Just a simple bolt secured with a tiny padlock.

Haku couldn't help himself but smile. _It's like they're begging us to escape their clutches._

His fingers slipped through the bars, the hole being big enough to accommodate his entire hand. Haku flexed his wrist and gripped the bolt, yanking it backwards with all the force he had.

"Nnugh…" a grunt of exertion growled in Haku's throat, and he pulled harder, but to no avail. The bolt was lodged in its holding like it was attached with Superglue.

"You actually found something?" the incredulous voice wafted into the cage, and Haku abruptly stopped trying to force the bolt out of its jam.

_We've got company…_

He practically sat on his hands, doing his best to look innocent and hide his anticipated shivering. He even began to sheepishly whistle.

He was cut short, however, as two men entered the room.

Haku had to say they weren't entirely what he was expecting.

When he laid eyes upon the first man, all Haku could think was "mechanic/engineer". He was the spitting image of a stereotypical mechanic – red dungarees covered in dirt and grease; oily cloths spilling out of the many pockets. He face was almost obscured by oil and grease stains, as if he had just washed it with a bucket of Octillery ink. His Einstein-style, steel-grey hair looked as if an angry Pikachu had electrocuted it, and he had the grin of someone who currently felt that they were the happiest person in the world.

The second person was also dressed casually, though admittedly he was more presentable than the first. He was roughly the same age, with undulating, shoulder-length blonde hair streaked with brown at the tips, a clean-shaven face, and a stack of tome-like books being carried under his shoulder. He wore an expression which came across to Haku as utterly disbelieving.

So, they didn't dress like Genmi workers… but who were they?

"Yeah! I did find something. Wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but hey, it was a pretty good haul! It's not every day that you find a legendary Pokémon to be your friend, is it?" Crazy Hair spread his hands wide, his grin positively beaming with mirth.

Haku was pretty sure that had Book-Lover any kind of liquid in his mouth at that point in time, he would have spurted it all over his companion. "A legendary Pokémon?!"

"You think I'm having you on? Go see for yourself," Crazy Hair told him, gesturing at Haku and Maddy's cage.

Book-Lover stood there, gawking at Haku for a full five minutes (Haku even counted). "You caught a guy…?"

"Huh?" Crazy Hair had barely taken a glance at Haku before practically performing a backwards cartwheel. "Whoa-whoa! I… I never knew I'd actually managed to catch a human as well!"

Haku blinked. He thought he'd registered a wide laughing smile on the man's previously shocked face as he reacted, but it was only there for a fleeting second before the astounded expression came back.

_Interesting…_

His friend glared at him. "What were you doing?! You idiot!" He looked ready to bash Crazy Hair right in the quiff with one of his books.

Meanwhile, Crazy Hair looked as if he were about to cry. "I… I was only looking for the Golden Skarmory… I never meant it to get this complicated!" He put his distraught face in his hands.

"Golden Skarmory?"

It was out before Haku intended it to be. But he was so curious, and the more and more he watched these guys, the less and less they seemed like employees of Genmi Inc.

"Y-yeah…" Crazy Hair sniffed, still cupping his face with calloused fingers. "It's a Skarmory… but golden. Rarer than rare! That was what I heard. And it had been sighted not five miles from my house, above Eterna Forest!" He bounced up, grinning once again. "The thing is, it only comes out in the dead of night. So as soon as I heard this, I thought, I need to catch it. Why…? Because, well… Steel-Types are my passion! I dream of collecting every single one in the entire worl- OUCH!"

"Sorry, mate, had to do that," Book-Lover stated as Crazy Hair's cheek began to immediately turn an angry red. "But I think there's something you haven't said."

Crazy Hair then did something which genuinely surprised Haku. He actually got down on his knees, bowed, and then met Haku's eyes, his own shining like a Growlithe begging for a bone.

"Please forgive me! I really did think that was a wild Latias… It was dark, I must've not noticed you! Please, please… I'll get you out of there…"

_So, he thinks I'm Maddy's Trainer…?_ Haku realised. Hmm… He supressed a sly smile.

The crazy-haired bloke grasped the bolt with both hands, practically flinging it to the left side. Clearly much stronger than Haku's failed attempt, the lock itself actually went flying across the room.

Crazy Hair swore under his breath. Then he sighed. "Ah, well, can always get another."

Haku crawled out of the cage, looking back to check on Maddy.

Sure as a Snorlax, she was still sleeping.

_Holy Arceus, that girl can sleep for Sinnoh._

Haku stood up, holding his hand out to the Einstein-haired mechanic, who was still burbling apologies uncontrollably.

"No, really, it's okay! I suppose it would be easy to mistake my Latias for a Skarmory under cover of darkness," Haku reassured him with a smile. "They are both flying Pokémon, after all."

The man shook his head. "No… it must've been horrible for you to wake up not having a clue where you were. I must compensate you and your Latias!"

Haku chuckled. "No, really-"

He didn't have time to finish before the man stormed to his equipment hooks, swiped a metallic shimmer off one of them and stamped back.

"Here," he proffered, hovering the strange little tool in front of Haku's face.

That was what it was. It was definitely strange-looking, something of a cross between a pocket watch and a scarf. It was essentially a long, bendy piece of silver machinery, composed of countless, constantly revolving chrome gears, with various dials and steam-puffing pistons. It was adorned with random brass suns, silver moons and gemstone planets as if it were a fashion item.

Haku gingerly took it, as if worried that the gears would spring out, come to life and attack him like a thousand angry Klink. "Um, what is-"

Crazy Hair launched into his explanation before the Absol Pokéshifter could even ask. "It's my invention! I call it the Celestial Scarf, because it allows the wearer to transport himself or herself anywhere in space – instantly! It's like a powered-up version of the move Teleport!"

"Uh, it sounds rather useful, but-"

"Oh, don't listen to him," Book-Lover butted in. "It may look fancy, like something out of a steampunk fantasy novel, but believe me, it sure doesn't walk the walk." He prised the scarf off Haku and draped it over himself. "Now, scarf, I would love it if you transported me to the Sun, right away if possible!" he ordered.

"Wait, don't say that!" Crazy Hair protested. "You could die!"

But the scarf did nothing except continue its whirring revolutions and spout steam.

"See?" said Book-Lover. "You could wear it and look like an utter maniac, but other than that, it's worthless." He handed the contraption back to Haku.

"What do you know?" pouted Crazy Hair. "It's only a prototype. Besides, I never said it was voice-activated, did I?"

"Oooh…" Book-Lover sighed. "Really, do not mind him. He's crazier than a Chatot clock. But very interested in Sinnoh's legends. That's about the only reason why I'm friends with him."

Haku cocked his head as he absorbed this. "But who are you two, anyway?"

"Oh, damn, so sorry!" Crazy Hair apologised again. "My name's Sedemihcra. Confusing, eh? That's why everyone calls me Sed. I'm a mechanic and an inventor, but I studied Pokémon mythology at Sinnoh University. I'm generally inspired by Pokémon myths, though, so I suppose it paid off a bit, eh?" Sed finished, laughing.

The other man shrugged. "I'm Wookbrom. It's a strange name, I guess – so feel free to laugh your head off. I don't really mind. I was at university with Sed… unfortunately. Studying the same exact thing, but I became a writer instead. Novels, and non-fiction – I write both, but they always have something to do with the many myths and legends of our world. I've travelled to many places, hoping to see one of these amazing legendary rarities of Pokémon with my own eyes, but…" He sighed again. "You know how it is. A legendary Pokémon's not just something you can just go and see, if you take my meaning."

Taking a step forward, Wookbrom stooped so his head was level with the cage's ceiling. "So, this is a Latias, in the flesh… wow. Even sleeping… she's… beautiful." A wide, dreamy smile seemed to slacken the lower half of his face, but his eyes… they gazed at the slumbering Maddy in a way that was somehow unnerving to Haku. Hungrily, he thought.

Haku began to feel suddenly awkward, and tried to hide the fact he was beginning to sweat like a Tepig. "Y-yep," he answered, trying to keep his voice steady.

Wookbrom's gaze switched to Haku. "So, how'd you find her?"

"I…" Haku began, but his head swam – and suddenly, out of nowhere, he was unable to think clearly. A spontaneous migrane erupted, so painful Haku felt as though someone had landed an axe blow through the centre of his head. His vision dissolved into a rapidly swirling soup of greyish spots, like television static.

_Oh, no, not one of these, not now, please-_

His thought was abruptly cut off as he left reality.

* * *

_When Haku's eyes snapped open, the sight that greeted him was of a dark room._

_Virtually the only light was filtering from a bank – or rather, wall – of computer screens which gleamed stark white against the black backing._

_Situated directly in front of the computer's screens was a long, curvature table, which was more of a desk. It was hard to tell from the lack of light in the room, but it seemed to be coloured a deep purple._

_Besides Haku, there were two people in the room, both by the desk. One was sitting at it on a high-backed, plush office chair; the kind that not only looked comfy enough to kip in, but also enabled you to spin round and round like a maniac._

_The second was standing rather meekly behind the chair. Haku strained to see more than their outlined silhouettes, but both their bodies were concealed in the shadows._

_As for Haku, he was in a position from which he could see almost the entirety of the room. He felt cold stone at his back, and discovered that when he made to move, an invisible yet horrendously painful jolt racked his body._

_He winced. What…?_

_But then, the silence of the room was broken by the chair's occupant._

_As they spoke, they swivelled partially into the illumination, allowing Haku to glimpse greying hair accompanied by purple and white streaks, and a single, catlike maroon eye._

_"__Inyatis, being the head of Genmi's Kalos Division, I expected more from you in that last mission." Haku noted down two observations from that single sentence – the voice, being feminine, meant the owner was a woman; and, from the tone, Haku could tell that whoever she was, she held a supreme position of authority._

_"__U-um, yes, Madame," replied the one called Inyatis; he had a masculine tone with just a hint of fear underlying his words. "I-I'm deeply sorry. I could compensate-"_

_"__There's no time for you to compensate!" the woman snapped. "That cock-up you caused may well lead to our ruin." She sighed. "Well, there is one Trump Card left to play… although it is rather… more of a Final Gambit."_

_The man, Inyatis, looked stricken. "No! Madame Axalar, you cannot seriously be thinking of-"_

_"__I can, and I will do it. There's nothing you can do to stop me, Inyatis. Unless you want to get fired. Or killed, if I don't feel merciful enough."_

_Her underling was stunned into silence. Meanwhile, the woman named Axalar got up, what Haku could see of her face falling into darkness once again. A clack, clack of high heels echoed across the room's vaulted ceiling._

_It was a few seconds before a shiver ran up Haku's spinal cord as he realised the woman was heading right in his direction._

_By that time, she was leaning right over him. But what was even more terrifying about that was the fact that he still couldn't see her features._

_"__So, how about that, eh…? It looks like I have another reason to keep you alive. So I can see the twisted expression on your face when all your pathetic friends die right before your eyes. And you can be safe in the knowledge that you yourself were the instrument of their demise…"_

_You would've thought that this would be a good moment to fit in a sadistic, villainous laugh, but this particular character stayed silent. Instead, she leaned in even closer, until Haku could feel soft breath caressing his cheek. "Not so strong now, are you, Haku Kurosawa?"_

_Haku wanted to gasp, but there was something blocking even his mouth movements. No-one knew his second name. He hadn't told it to anyone… it was, in fact, an especially kept secret of his. So how…_

_How in Houndour had she learnt it?_

* * *

Haku woke up to a piercing scream.

It took him milliseconds to realise that the scream had actually come from him.

_What… what was…_

"Are you okay?" Sedemihcra's voice.

_That… that didn't seem like a vision of an impending disaster…_

Haku's vision blurred into focus once again. His limbs felt like they had been cast in iron.

_Or… o-or… was it?_

Breathing out, Haku let himself relax. Surprisingly, he fell several inches to the floor. "Ouch…"

"He's alive!"

"Of course he is, dimwit." Wookbrom grasped Haku's hand and hauled him to his feet. "You okay? You seemed to pass out for a few seconds there."

A few seconds? That's all it was? Haku stood, wobbling slightly, until he felt balanced again. "Th-thanks. And yes… this happens sometimes… I-I have low-blood pressure," he garbled. "Sometimes I might just faint randomly, so…" he chuckled nervously. "Sorry."

Sed wandered over, giving Haku a once-over. "Well, you seem fine! That's good!" He grinned, slapping the Pokéshifter's forearm so hard it made him wince. "Fainting randomly, though… that's got to get pretty annoying!"

Haku nodded, thinking, _You have no idea._

"Tch, just leave him!" Wookbrom waved Sed away with his hand. The inventor pouted.

"S-sorry."

"No, it's fine," laughed Haku. "It happens quite-"

At that point, the boy himself was cut off by a long, loud, slow yawn – a yawn, as it happened, to end all yawns.

"G'morning, Haku," mumbled Maddy sleepily, groggily, stretching out in human form, still clearly unaware, utterly off with the Fairy-Types. Looking back on it, Haku realised that she must've transformed, woken up and emerged from the cage while Sed and Wookbrom were occupied with him.

Of course, that wasn't the case at all now.

In an instant, Haku's mind procured about a thousand potential responses to this particular stimulus.

But "It's about time", "This is the worst time you could ever choose to wake up", or even "Holy fucking Arceus, what did I ever do to deserve this" just didn't seem to cut it.

So, without even really thinking, Haku clamped his hand around Maddy's wrist tighter than a Shellder round a Slowbro's tail and pelted out of the room like a temperamental Camerupt was on his heels. Maddy, despite being half-asleep, managed to match his speed.

_Oh, what a day…_ Haku groaned internally. Hopefully those two will just think they're seeing things, and they won't wonder beyond that.

_Although… there's something that bothers me. They don't seem like Genmi, it's true… but the way they were acting around us… was, in the least to say, strange…_

* * *

Haku, in a rare moment, was wrong. Sed and Wookbrom knew they hadn't been seeing things, because they'd seen it all before.

But he _was_ right about the second thing – the duo had been acting strangely. But that was mainly because their entire act had been staged.

"That went surprisingly well!" laughed Sedemihcra, slapping his sides.

Wookbrom stared sidelong at his companion. "Yes, apart from that moment when you almost gave us away."

"It was just one li'l smile! Hardly worthy of that clobbering you gave me! But…" The mechanic stared down at his scuffed, grease-marked trainers. "They took my scarf…"

"A necessary distraction," Wookbrom replied. "Besides, it was just a piece of junk anyway. You won't miss it."

"Yes I will," Sed grumbled. "It was my only prototype!"

Wookbrom sighed. "I'll never get you, Sed, but I'll have to admit it is rewarding being friends with you. Those camo-trackers I stuck on them… you say they're there for good now, right?"

"Wafer-thin, waterproof, camouflaged, and extremely difficult to remove, should they discover them," the inventor informed his friend proudly.

"Good stuff. But just remember it wasn't all your genius in this ploy."

"Hm?" Sed looked up.

"Pinpointing them in the first place? And where'd you think you got your inspiration for that "Golden Skarmory" comment, hmm?" The writer waggled his dark eyebrows.

Sed couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, that book… it was always my favourite. I still can't believe those kids were gullible enough to lap every last drop of our entire play up, just like Honey."

"Yeah, they're kids." Wookbrom turned away, lost in his thoughts. "Having a camp that close to Genmi's HQ? That's about as stupid as anyone gets."

"Oh, yeah," Sed agreed. "But, you know, Wookie-"

"Do you have to call me that?" the said man growled. "I'm not Chewbacca!"

Sed laughed another of his maniacal laughs. "I know – but it's a fun pet name, isn't it? But anyway… from last night, there's something still bothering me…"

"What?" Wookbrom prompted, without looking back.

"Uh, well, you must've sensed it too-"

"The other Pokéshifters? They probably died in that fire… A loss, I know, but two's all we need for now."

"No… not them. There was another one. Closer… Even I could feel their presence, and I'm no good at reading Aura. But it seemed almost as if they were… not quite controlling, but manipulating the minds of the Latias and Absol. From a distance."

Wookbrom met his friend's gaze, eyebrows raised. "And you sensed that much? Impressive."

Sed smiled graciously.

"Though I suppose you didn't notice the human, and the Pokémon, who in turn were manipulating the Pokéshifter you sensed?"

"Uh, what!? There was a human and a Pokémon?" Sed's mouth was agape.

Wookbrom smirked almost smugly. "Oh well, Sed, reading Aura was never your forte. Stick to inventing."

"Alright. Oh, and one more thing…"

"Yes?" Wookbrom asked, somewhat exasperated.

"That Absol Pokéshifter… he didn't just faint because of low blood pressure, did he?"

Wookbrom rolled his golden eyes. "Of course not. It's an Absol's intuitive power, and can have effects on them in Pokémon and human form. Impending disasters from the future manifest themselves in their minds while unconscious. And that was what we witnessed."

"Ah," Sed muttered contemplatively. "Sounds like a useful, yet depressing power – always knowing what bad stuff is about to happen round the corner."

"Yes, it probably is," agreed Wookbrom. "But haven't you got a job to do?"

"Oh, yeah, of course, Your Highness," Sed grumbled, rolling his eyes, but then smiling at his own sarcastic comment.

Reaching under his worktable, he produced a wide-screened plasma tablet. The onscreen display showed a high-resolution map of Eterna City.

Two pulsating, neon-green triangles indicated the real-time position of the two tagged Pokéshifters as they zoomed from the brown square block of Sed's own house and onto the street outside.

Sed allowed himself a grin. "You can run, but you can't hide. And never say there's anywhere safe for you, as you'll learn…"

"…that there is nowhere safe for your kind."

* * *

Blooming honeysuckle emanated a pungent aroma that was almost overwhelming for Luci. Although she could not yet see beyond the thinning undergrowth up ahead, it was quite obvious now there were mere metres between the group and the flower-filled town of Floaroma.

"Gee, really stinks around here, don't it, Luci?" Flara stated from behind Luci none too quietly. "It's a good thing that it's a nice smell, though. Imagine if it stank of Stunky fart gas-"

"Shut up," groaned Luci, pulling back a frond of ferns to catch a glimpse of the area beyond. The winding trail of Route 205 connected to the town up ahead, where the boundary was marked by a wooden, ivy-lined arch with "Welcome To Floaroma Town!" carved across the top in flowery lettering.

_Everything about this town is flowery. Arceus, I already feel like puking – and we're not even in there yet._

Of course, it hadn't been Luci's plan to recuperate at Floaroma Town – in fact, if she had been in charge, they would've completely bypassed the place and made a beeline for Sandgem Town – where Luci knew there was a port. The fire back in Eterna had been a clear clue that Genmi were onto them. As far as Luci was concerned, their best bet was to get the hell out of the region – to someplace far away; Unova, or Kalos, perhaps.

_Well, I've always wanted to visit Kalos. I wonder if those legendary "Mega Stones" we've all heard about would work on Pokéshifters._

Luci had had an argument with Leone minutes previously, but she'd learnt in the short time she had known the Torterra Pokéshifter that arguing with her was pointless – that girl had a knack for getting her way. Also, Luci did agree with her, deep down; she felt that she was dying on her feet, having practically run here all the way from the now burnt-out camp in Eterna. They all felt that way. They all needed to rest. And Floaroma's Pokémon Center was probably the best option.

Which was why Luci and Flara had been sent to scout the place out, then return to Leone with new knowledge. You never knew where a bunch of Genmi goons could be hiding.

All they had to do was pass themselves off as a regular Pokémon Trainer and her Pokémon partner. They had even given themselves aliases, in case Genmi were spying on them – Luci's cover was Yvonne the Ace Trainer, and Flara had insisted on being called Queen Fluffleflame, Yvonne's Flareon.

"Right. So far, so good," Luci muttered, drawing herself up to her full height. She sniffed. "Ugh. Makes you wonder whether Leone picked this place just because it's supposed to be Grass-Type Nirvana."

Flara shrugged. "I dunno. What's Nirvana, anyway?"

"I'll tell you later," sighed Luci. "Just turn into a Flareon already, will ya?"

"Okay then, Miss Bossyboots Leone-wannabe," grunted Flara reluctantly before shifting.

"Yeah, and get used to it," Luci retaliated as she stepped out of the undergrowth, Flara following inches behind. She grinned. "After all, I'm your Trainer now."

The Flareon Pokéshifter rolled her chestnut eyes in answer.

Luci chuckled as the pair passed under the archway. She panned her eyes around the streets as they walked, which seemed to be overtaken by plants – indeed, there were more flowerbeds than houses. Each and every lamppost, pillar box and garden gate they passed was hung with a garland of sickly-smelling plants.

_Don't they get sick of the smell after a while?_

They both stuck to the main drag, watching warily for anything suspicious, but it was all Floaroma natives.

_Arceus, even the people here are flowery…_ Luci noted as she passed two men having an animated conversation, one complimenting the other's garden as a Cherrim danced around them, throwing sakura confetti.

Luci was glad when the Pokémon Centre hovered into view, seemingly the only building not transformed into a pungent and colourful bouquet. Painted the usual orange and white, the Poké Ball symbol above the door glinted in the late afternoon sunlight.

Taking a breath and readying herself, Luci proceeded to fulfil the second part of their objective – to book places for nine at the Pokémon Center.

No sooner had her feet touched the grey pavement slabs than she was practically bowled over as something which felt heavier than a brick wall slammed into her.

"Hey, watch it, you!"

The angry shout emanated from above. Luci picked herself up, meeting cool thundercloud-grey eyes practically sparking with distaste.

"Are you blind or something, girl?"

Luci bristled at being crudely referred to as "girl", but took her time analysing the boy in front of her before answering. His tousled blonde hair hung down his face in a spiky fringe, and he was clad in the signature brown and dark green outfit of the Ace Trainer cult of the Sinnoh region.

Luci didn't need to read his Aura to tell he was looking for an excuse to fight. Perhaps he's fed up of all the floweriness too.

_But, unfortunately, I don't have the time to smash this guy's face into the floor in a Pokémon battle right now. So he'll just have to make do with a sarcastic remark._

Luci made a big show of it, putting on a huge fake smile and leaning into the boy's face, clearly pointing out her amber eyes. "Well, _boy_, I can most definitely see you right now. I have eyes, as you can clearly see."

As she made to move past him, the irritating Ace Trainer streaked in front, blocking her path. "Don't be such a smart-arse, girl. You're talking to Volkner Junior, and you aren't taking a step into this Pokémon Centre without battling me first!"

"Ooh, very scary," muttered Luci under her breath, before realising who the boy had introduced himself as.

"Wait… _the_ Volkner?! Isn't he the Gym Leader of Sunyshore City Gym?" She scoffed. "You're lying."

"I am not, girl!" the boy insisted, practically pouting. "I am the only son of Volkner of Sunyshore City, and one day I will be the Gym Leader! I'm already just as strong as my father. There's no way a lowlife Trainer like you could ever beat me," he proclaimed with narcissistic overconfidence.

"Really, now?" Luci cocked a dark eyebrow. "I would take you right now, but I'm busy. So go run along back to Sunyshore. And by the way, my name's Yvonne, not girl."

"Heh! Well, I was just about to leave, anyway, but my Pokémon could do with some good target practice." Smirking, Volkner Junior hardly hesitated as he plucked a Poké Ball from his belt and threw it deftly into the air. The red-and-white capsule opened out in midair, releasing a cloud of glittering white, which instantly morphed into a spiky-haired Jolteon with an expression almost as cocky as that of its Trainer's.

_Oh, ain't that just great,_ Luci wanted to groan. She knew from her previous childhood dreams of becoming a Trainer that as soon as a Pokémon, from either side, was sent into battle, it was mandatory as part of the Trainer credo to engage in the battle whether you liked it or not. Trainers seemed to have this annoying belief that none should ever run away from a battle with another Trainer.

_Well, fuck Trainers,_ Luci thought grudgingly as she gestured at Flara. "Guess I'll just use Flar- er, Queen Fluffleflame to take you out!"

The Flareon Pokéshifter leapt in eagerly, even striking a pose, whilst Volkner Junior burst out laughing, and Luci resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Queen Fluffleflame?! Just what kinda lame nicknames do you give to your Pokémon?" He gasped for a few seconds to get his breath back. "Well, anyway, this should be over quickly. Jolteon, use Charge Beam!"

Flara only just manage to dodge in time as the electrified beam shot towards her faster than lightning. Her tail fur barely escaped being singed by the outpouring electrons.

Luci was taken aback, too – she had been so busy wishing Flara had taken a less ridiculous name for her Pokémon alias that she had barely noticed the Jolteon's oncoming, rapid attacks.

That Pokémon was like a tiny yellow Concorde – blink and you'd miss the swift Quick Attack which it dealt out to Flara within milliseconds.

She had forgotten how fast she knew a Jolteon could be. _I guess you don't become that arrogant without a reason,_ Luci speculated.

Flara somersaulted backwards, landing smoothly on her paws. Despite taking a direct hit, she didn't look in the least bit winded.

Luci knew she had to strike. "Queen Fluffleflame, use…" The Lucario Pokéshifter hesitated just for a nanosecond as she picked her brain for any moves she remembered Flara ever using. Then the memory hit her; back in the woods where they had fought together, Luci had definitely seen Flara unleash Flamethrower and Shadow Ball. Although she knew there were a great many other moves Flareon were capable of learning, she had no idea which ones Flara actually knew. And it would be beyond embarrassing if she called out a move the Pokéshifter didn't actually know how to use. So she decided.

"Flamethrower!"

A stream of red-hot flames came tumbling from Flara's gaping mouth, but were met by the Jolteon's Charge Beam. The two attacks simply cancelled each other out in a smoky explosion which blew Pokémon and Pokéshifter backwards into their Trainers.

Luci absent-mindedly threw Flara off, feeling as though she had already landed on her one too many times. The Lucario Pokéshifter then wasted no time, leaping to her feet and giving a defiant yell of "Use Shadow Ball!"

Flara did so, but the Jolteon was just as ready. "Iron Tail," Volkner Junior muttered.

The Jolteon swung its steely tail tip at the oncoming purplish orb like a tennis racket, bouncing the attack back at twice the speed and power.

As the inky globe collided with Flara, a dust cloud was formed, engulfing both Pokéshifters. Inside, Luci could hear her opponent laughing like a maniac.

_Right, I've had it with this guy,_ Luci thought, _and, if Flara's down, then at least I can use this dust to my advantage, and get in there myself. I don't give a piece of Grimer sludge if Trainers aren't supposed to hit each other during battles. Besides, I'm not a legitimate Trainer anyway._

The shift came naturally and easily, her body once again transferring into the form of a Lucario. Using the smoke as cover while she shifted, she then charged out as fast as she could, delivering an ExtremeSpeed at photon velocity. She rammed the Jolteon before slamming her bare foot into the Ace Trainer's solar plexus – a good ol' Lucario kick. She then bounced right back to her former position, reassuming human form. All in two seconds, flat.

The dust cleared, and Luci was relieved to see Flara battered, but otherwise unhurt. The same could not be said for Volkner Junior's Jolteon – its glazed, spiralling eyeballs indicated its unconsciousness.

The Trainer himself sat up, coughing. He looked wildly from his senseless Pokémon, to Flara, to Luci. "H-how?!" he spluttered. "H-how can any Pokémon be that fast… and…" His expression changed from bewildered to worry. "A-aaack! Not my father's precious Jolteon, who I stole from behind his back… A-ahh… the two of us were getting to be so close…" He stopped, looked up, and noticed Luci gazing at him thoughtfully. "I-I-I mean, how dare you hurt my precious Jolteon! My father will hear about this!" Swiping up the Jolteon, Volkner's hapless son shot off at an impressive speed, kicking up soil behind him.

_My Pokémon, my arse,_ Luci mused. _If he stole it from his dad, then that explains things. A Gym Leader's Pokémon would be tough to beat._ She sighed. "I knew that guy was all talk. But it was his Pokémon doing all the work back there." She glanced down at Flara. "Sorry."

The Flareon Pokéshifter gave a grin and a wink. Probably saying _"Don't be."_

"Well, let's do here what we came to do," Luci stated as she sauntered over to the Pokémon Centre's automatic doors.

As the doors slid open, Luci felt a tugging on her ankle, and looked down. Flara was staring at her with a confused expression. "Flare?" she inquired.

Even without being in Pokémon form, Luci still had a rudimentary understanding of the ways in which Pokémon communicated to each other.

"Why would a Gym Leader's son go to Floaroma Town…?" Luci shrugged. "Well, why does anyone go to this shitty town?!"

* * *

The neon-green digital readout on the room's whitewashed wall had just struck 8 pm by the time the entire nine-strong crew had congregated in their designated bedroom.

The group, now full up with the contents of a buffet worthy of a twenty-ton starved Snorlax, were currently languishing on their beds, utterly pooped from the events of the past twenty-four hours. Flara and Luci, especially, were particularly fatigued – they had curled up on their shared double bed and practically fallen asleep. But it wasn't surprising, considering they had had more than a few escapades on their last mission. According to Luci, they had been challenged by an Ace Trainer, forced to engage in a Pokémon battle, and had then had to talk their way out of Nurse Joy healing the injured "Queen Fluffleflame". But as Luci had begun to talk about the battle, she had cast an almost sheepish sidelong glance at Flara, as if saying, "Whatever you do, don't mention that secret we need to keep from Leone, otherwise she'll get really mad at us and probably try to kill us."

_Just another secret being kept from me by my own friends, Leone sighed. Ah well, I suppose I'm used to it. All Pokéshifters have secrets, including myself._

Leone seemed to be the only one with enough energy to stand up. In fact, she was restless – pacing the large room from one wall to the other as if plotting the details of an elaborate plan. Sometimes she'd collapse into the navy-blue chintz armchair in the corner, but would only stay sitting for mere seconds until she got up again and resumed pacing.

The room itself had been the largest that the Pokémon Center had free. It was meant for five, consisting of two double beds and one single, but they had been provided with extra sleeping bags, a spacious, carpeted floor, and the armchair, which Leone had designated to herself.

Suddenly, the Torterra Pokéshifter stopped in mid-pace, and turned right on her slumbering companions. "Wake up, you lot! You can go to sleep _after _I've told you the plan."

Luci sat up, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. "U-uh? What plans?" she inquired drowsily.

Her mind was fully broken back into reality abruptly as she noticed a certain Flareon Pokéshifter snuggling up to her. "Geroff!" she yelled, tugging her arm out of Flara's grip.

The said teenager fell back on her side, grumbling. "Whyyyy? Why so mean, Luci…"

Akari and the new arrivals – Leone was still stumbling over their names – were not acting much less chaotically. Except for Akari, who was her usual quiet self – listening attentively, her brown eyes fixed on Leone. The trio of Water-Type Pokéshifters had all tried to squeeze into a double bed together and were now clambering over one another to find out exactly what was going on. And the Lucario and Umbreon duo she had met in the woods with Luci were groaning, staring around the dimly lit room with glazed zombie-like eyes.

Leone managed to resist the urge to facepalm – she had become practically a master of that art over time.

About half of the others repeated Luci's question simultaneously, and even Akari piped up, stammering, "Y-you were saying, L-leone?"

Leone cleared her throat. "I was saying - Quit whining, Flara! – that we need to talk about what course of action we're going to take tomorrow."

Everyone fell silent, if for a few seconds. Tomorrow. No-one had considered it, or even thought about it, but they all knew that this Pokémon Centre was only temporary lodging. Soon they would be on the run again.

Luci was the first to state her opinion on the matter. "I say we go to Sandgem Town, catch a boat at the dock and escape to another region."

"Hey, hey, hey! That's seconded by me!" Flara crowed. "Let's get outta this stinkin' region already!"

Leone rolled her eyes. _Typical Flara. That gung-ho attitude of hers has never lessened… Still, isn't she at least a little sad at the notion of leaving her home region? Although the Battle Zone's an island, it's still part of Sinnoh._ She silently sighed. "Calm down, you two. Let's see what everyone else thinks first."

The new Lucario Pokéshifter – Sphaera, Leone recalled – piped up suddenly. "Another region? Not that that sounds bad, but where would we go? Me and Somber have never left Sinnoh, so I wouldn't know." The dark-haired boy beside her nodded.

"I've never left Sinnoh either," Leone admitted, sinking into the armchair whilst exhaling. "But I've read up on the other regions. There are five we could potentially escape to. But if we are going to leave Sinnoh, we need to narrow our available regions down, and pick the best one."

"W-wait… f-five?" Akari stuttered questioningly. "I-I thought there were only four regions, including Sinnoh…"

Luci stared at the Togetic Pokéshifter with something resembling incredulity. "You mean to say you've never heard of Unova or Kalos?!"

"U-um, no… I-I mean yes. G-geography was never my forte…" She looked down bashfully.

The Wartortle Pokéshifter, Avia, dug her male companion in the ribs. "Hey, Hydrus! Shouldn't you be offended? You come from Unova, after all!"

The big Swampert Pokéshifter fixed the girl with an embarrassed stare which said, "Oh, why did you have to just blurt that out…?"

The last of the trio, Jubilee, gave one of her signature grins. "Well, I dunno if I should say anything here, but in case you want to know, I'm a Sinnoh girl; born and raised," she finished proudly.

Leone sensed the conversation was going off topic. "Well, it's all well and good to hear your life stories, but we need to decide on a region. Has anyone got any ideas?"

Flara pouted, shaking her head so her messy scarlet strands swished across her face. "Nope. Gee, I wish Haku was still here. He'd have known what to do."

Leone instantly knew that she wasn't just referring to their current situation; she was also saying that Haku's analytical mind could've possibly helped them save the camp from being obliterated by flames.

She felt the pang of guilt attack her once again – she'd had so much to think about getting her companions out alive that she'd had hardly a thought to spare for the dead. Or, at least, the assumed dead.

_Ridiculous, Leone. Not even an Entei could've survived that fire…_

But when she had broken the news to Luci, Flara and Akari whilst the whole group had stopped outside Floaroma for a short break, all of them, especially Flara, refused to believe their old friends had died – they were convinced that they were missing, instead. But, dead or not, Haku and Frinos were losses which stabbed right at Leone's heart. She didn't think she could take any more.

"Who's Haku?" A thin smile played out on Sphaera's lips. "You don't mean the dragon boy from _Sprited Away_, right?"

Leone frowned. "He gets that – got that – a lot. But he… he was our friend. He died in the fire in Eterna."

Sphaera's face changed to a look of guilt. "Oh… crap. Sorry…"

"He is not dead, Leone!" growled Flara. "And neither is Frinos-"

"Flara!" Leone ordered, causing her to finally shut up. "We'll have this argument later. For now, regions… Since no-one seems to have any personal favourites, we're going to have to choose by an elimination method."

She looked around at all of them. When the silence ensued, she continued, "Well, Kanto's first up-"

"That's not a good idea," interrupted Luci. She had said it so vehemently, but she looked around awkwardly when everyone turned their eyes to her. "Uh, I mean… Genmi have been chasing me for years. And… well, I did once pick up a tip: they apparently have a base in Kanto like they do here in Sinnoh, only they're a whole lot more known down there – they have an alliance with Team Rocket, and they're so powerful they practically control the region. If there's a free Pokéshifter left in Kanto today, they must be the best escape artist in the entire galaxy. Or so I heard."

Even Flara didn't speak for a single minute as the group absorbed Luci's words.

"Guess that counts Kanto out, huh," put in Sphaera. "But what about Johto?"

Surprisingly, it was Akari who answered. "I-I-I c-come from Johto… a-and I can tell you that Genmi's there too… I-It's very close to Kanto, you see, so they've managed to get a b-base there too. I… I was running constantly while I was in Johto. I had to flee to Sinnoh to g-get away." Leone had to practically lean in to hear the girl's wispy timbre.

Sphaera looked annoyed. "Are you serious? Those Genmi dorks have gotten everywhere!"

Avia pushed her indigo-framed glasses up her nose, the frames catching and reflecting the lamplight. "Well, there's always Hoenn…"

"Hmm?" interjected Jubilee. "You come from Hoenn, don'tcha, Avia?

"Yeah…" Avia replied, her word trailing off into the ether.

"Uh…" Hydrus spoke slowly and awkwardly (Leone was surprised – she didn't think she'd heard him speak before), "You do know that's…"

The two shared a glance which was impossible to read.

Meanwhile, Jubilee's smile never wavered. "Ha ha! It's just summat to do with bad memories 'n' stuff… I don't know the details, I was never there. Besides, I did hear that things have been getting tense lately over there; Team Magma and Team Aqua are fighting again, it seems."

Avia nodded hurriedly. "Y-yeah! Genmi isn't as prominent over there, but the two teams make the entire region a pretty dangerous place to live, especially for Pokéshifters."

"I see," sighed Leone, not believing it for a second. She didn't have to have Haku's mind to tell that they were hiding something. Something deep, dark and personal. So she didn't inquire further. "Guess that just leaves Unova and Kalos."

"I say Unova!" Flara stated loudly. "It's pretty far away from the other regions, isn't it? That way, Genmi will probably have less people and less influence over there, right?"

Leone couldn't help it – she burst out laughing. "Arceus, Flara, did you just come up with a good idea?!" She applauded while the Flareon Pokéshifter stood dumbfounded, a single sweat-drop dripping down the side of her head. "The flaw in that plan though is just how far away Unova is from Sinnoh. I doubt we'll be able to get there from Sandgem Town – we'd have to go to a bigger port, like Canalave or Snowpoint City. And we-"

"-don't have time for that," finished Luci.

The Umbreon Pokéshifter chuckled. "Ooh, are you two secret twins or something? 'Cos the way you finish each other's sentences" - he clicked his fingers knowingly – "is the first sign of it." Sphaera joined in his laughter as Luci and Leone glared.

A small smile lit up Akari's face at the humorous atmosphere. "W-well, that leaves the other region, K-kalos, was that what you said?"

"Yeah!" Luci confirmed. "I don't know too much about it, I'll admit, but I know a few things. It's a little bit unlike other regions – for a start, the arrays of Pokémon living there are extremely diverse, meaning that there'll probably be more Pokéshifters there compared to other regions. And that's a great thing, right?"

Sphaera met Luci's gaze with her crimson irises. "There was something I heard about Kalos, too… isn't there some kind of mystical power there which can transform fully-evolved Pokémon to some "ultimate level of power" or something?"

"Mega Stones, you mean? Oh, yeah! There are those too." Luci smirked. "And I read once that Lucario is one of the Pokémon which can use that Mega Stone transformation."

Sphaera's eyes widened eagerly. "Really?"

The two of them barely noticed Leone and Somber simultaneously rolling their eyes.

"We're not going to Kalos just so you two can get superpowers," Leone sighed. "Just so you know."

"We knew!" Luci and Sphaera chorused before bursting into giggles.

Flara burst into fits of laughter along with the two Lucario Pokéshifters, before abruptly stopping and asking, "Wait, what's so funny?"

Leone got up again after yelling another trademark "Shut up, you lot!" and thrust her hand, palm downwards, into the centre. "Okay then, all those in favour of going to Kalos, put your hand in on top of mine."

All eight of them, eager at the prospect of visiting a new region, and starting a new adventure, formed a circle with Leone and placed their hands on top of hers.

"To Kalos!" Jubilee cheered.

"Well, to sleep, and then to Kalos," Leone corrected, chuckling.

"To sleep, and then to Kalos!" the group combined in a united cheer so raucous it probably woke up the Trainers' Pokémon in their Poké Balls.

Part of Leone wanted to yell at them all for being so loud, but the other half just wanted to laugh along with them.

_I'm in with a strange lot; I think I've known that for some time._

_But I should really just accept it. After all, it's not like they're going to develop any sense anytime soon._


	11. Chapter 11: A Reunion of Sorts

**Chapter Eleven: A Reunion Of Sorts**

**_"_****_YOU'RE NOT GOING _****to die **on me, are you?"

Frinos managed a weak smile. Even though Naomi had meant her tone to be threatening, he couldn't help catching the concern beneath it.

The Glaceon Pokéshifter hid a wince as he limped parallel to the violet-haired girl, pain creeping up his legs in short, sharp bursts. "I'm fine. I could stand without Asuka's help, couldn't I?" Though he pronounced this with less conviction than he felt.

Asuka herself had practically begged to be sent on the mission to Eterna as well, but Jean had flat-out refused, being reluctant even to send Frinos as it was. Although he thought it was more than just a bit harsh, he could see where she was coming from. Being technically fugitives, they had to lie low below the prying eyes of Genmi's field agents. And it would be easier to remain inconspicuous the fewer members their group had.

Following that strategy, the five-strong team had split into pairs upon arriving at Eterna City's central plaza. Frinos with Naomi, Alice with Flandre, and the Houndoom Pokéshifter Piko had insisted on going alone.

Whilst the others were scouting the city itself for traces of any potential Pokéshifter recruits, Frinos had been given a special mission from Jean, which was the entire reason he had tagged along.

The mission itself? To find the camp. And in doing so, hopefully find his friends. So long as they weren't –

_No, no, I can't think like that, _Frinos chided himself, shaking his head ferociously as if that would dislodge the negativity. _Flara, Haku, Leone, Luci, Akari… I'm gonna see them again. I am._

Though, if his own ambush was anything to go by, it was likely Genmi were onto them and the camp had been discovered. In short: his friends were in immediate danger.

Frinos's mind instantly formed scenes of his friends, battered and exhausted from hours of fighting, and ringed by dozens of shadowy, malignant shapes - Genmi subordinates and their Pokémon. A situation even the group's main brain, Haku, wouldn't be able to get them out of.

_I need to get there as fast as I can._

Though the fastest he was able to travel at right now was a sort of crossover between limping and jogging; and even doing that made his sides hurt like they had been injected with the venom of a Poison Fang. It seemed as though Morning Sun's after-effects were taking longer to recede than he initially thought.

So, instead, he used up his meagre supply of energy trying to keep up with Naomi, and gazing at the scene around him. It felt almost nostalgic – he could barely remember the last time he'd visited Eterna.

The central plaza was better described as a plateau. Situated on a fifty-foot tall mound with granite steps carved into the four compass points of the hill, it was paved with stone slabs in all hues of grey, so smooth they were almost reflective in the early afternoon sunlight. Grassy patches and benches were scattered around, but it was truly difficult to miss the centrepiece.

Upon a pedestal of veined marble stood a bronze-cast statue, shimmering as if it were made of chrome. The statue depicted a hybrid of the two legendary Pokémon of time and space, Palkia and Dialga.

Like every inhabitant of Sinnoh, Frinos knew the epic stories of those two Pokémon. In the olden days, the duo were even worshipped as gods. But they were said to now be residing within a parallel universe, far out of reach to anyone living in this realm.

"I wonder…" Frinos murmured absent-mindedly.

"Yeah?" interjected Naomi impatiently, her golden gaze trained on him.

"Uhm," the Glaceon Pokéshifter mumbled awkwardly, only just realising he had been thinking aloud. "I just… just, because… Genesect's a legendary Pokémon, right?"

Naomi's eyebrows shot upwards, then met in an V-shaped scowl as she realised he was referring to Jean. "Yes, idiot," she grumbled. "That bossy little bitch is a freaking _legendary._" She pronounced the word as though it was toxic, though Frinos supposed that wouldn't really bother her – she was a Poison Type, after all.

Although Jean did seem like a controlling, uptight arsehole, Frinos got the vibe, just from the way she spoke during their short meeting, that there was more to her than met the eye. She spoke so maturely, old beyond her years – like she had somehow been forced into growing up quicker than she would've done naturally. Whatever the case, Frinos felt like she had a story to tell behind her almost robotic demeanour. But he was no Haku – the Genesect Pokéshifter still seemed like an utter enigma.

"Hey, that's kinda uncalled for, don't cha think?" protested Frinos. "I mean, you hardly know her."

Naomi's snakelike face twisted in a sneer. "I know her better than you do, Iceboy."

Letting the retort slide over him, Frinos continued casually, "Anyway, if Jean is a legendary Pokéshifter… well, if there's one, there might be others, you know?"

"Yeah, maybe," replied Naomi, her voice for once lacking the usual impertinent tone. She gestured towards the Palkia/Dialga hybrid perched directly behind them. "Like those."

Frinos blinked. "That's exactly what I was thinking!" he exclaimed. "Meeting a Palkia or Dialga Pokéshifter would be amazing, right?"

The Ekans Pokéshifter replied with an incoherent sound which told him, "I don't give two flying Magikarp". Frinos decided not to reply.

The unlikely pair paused at the lip of the plateau, from where the stairs began to descend down to the street below. It was possible to see the entire east side of the city from here – a labyrinth of streets lined with tall trees and shops, the unmistakable orange streak of a Pokémon Center, and, down in the southernmost corner, the transparent, greenhouse-like dome of Eterna City's Gym. Beyond what Frinos could see of the city stretched miles and miles of verdant, early summertime forest – only the canopy was mottled with huge swathes of blackened patches, where trees had disintegrated as a result of the blaze. Although the last cinders had long extinguished, the fire had resulted in almost a third of the forest – or so it looked to Frinos from his vantage point – being vaporised.

Taking in the sight of the destroyed forest before him, the Glaceon Pokéshifter had to make a conscious effort not to fall to his knees on already weakened legs. "N-no… way…" he choked out.

"Wow… I… I never thought…" Glancing to his side, Frinos saw Naomi was gazing ruefully at the street below. "I knew the Pokémon Genmi used have been modified to bring out more of their power… but I never considered Xerno's Emboar to be capable of… this…"

Frinos realised he could hardly stand the current expression on Naomi's face. She looked as if she were about to cry.

"S-sorry," she managed. "Frinos, I doubt your friends are still at your camp, if they are actually still alive."

"They are alive!" insisted Frinos, meeting Naomi's gaze. "You underestimate them. Trust me; I know them. They might not be in Eterna Forest anymore – they might not even be in Eterna City… but I'm damn sure they're still alive."

"Yeah? And how do you know that?" Naomi spat bitterly. "Are you a Psychic Type?" Before Frinos could answer, she delved right into a full-frontal rant. "I saw one of your idiot friends die right before my eyes. I even saw your camp. It's tiny. And trust _me, _that one Emboar you fought has enough power to level a smallish skyscraper. Your little merry band would never have gotten out of there alive."

Frinos almost fell down the steps. "You _what?! _Someone _died _back in Eterna? Why didn't you tell me?"

Naomi's glared at the ground as if she was trying to bore through the steps using lasers from her eyes. "I didn't think you needed to know."

As soon as it was out of her mouth, they both knew it was a pathetic excuse.

"Seriously?" growled Frinos with anger he didn't often show. "At least tell me who it was!"

"The Absol Pokéshifter. I never got his name." Naomi kept her eyes on the steps as her ankle-high boots impacted on them, her face obscured by cascading mauve hair.

_Haku… no way… _Frinos could barely believe it. "How did he die?" he instantly demanded.

Naomi quickened her pace suddenly, leaping down the steps two at a time, as if she wanted to get away from the Glaceon Pokéshifter.

But Frinos limped after her. If she was telling the truth about Haku being dead… well, he had to know. If she was sent just to capture one Pokéshifter, like she had told him earlier, then why did she stand by whilst another was murdered?

They were approaching the cobbles at the bottom when Naomi finally replied. "I'm not proud of it, okay? Just want you to know that before I tell you."

She stopped abruptly on the second step from the pavement, causing Frinos to narrowly crash headlong into her. As soon as he ground to a halt, Naomi gripped his shoulders and practically flung him around so he faced her.

The teenage Pokéshifter felt the hollow feeling in his chest once again as he registered the devastated look on Naomi's face. Her eyes were reddening, with bloodshot veins against the gold irises, but no trace of tears. "He must be a really great friend of yours." For once her tone held no sarcasm. "He came through the burning forest, faced up to me, Xerno and Emboar – all for your sake."

Frinos took a moment to take this all in. _Haku did that? _It sounded pretty reckless for the quiet, intellectual strategist, but it wasn't something he wouldn't imagine him doing. They were friends, and they stood up for each other. That was what Frinos had always assumed.

"I faced him in battle. I defeated him, of course. But… I… I…" Naomi looked down at her palms as if a nightmarish face was growing out of them, then continued, her voice catching in her throat. "I… went wild in my rage, and I… killed him."

"You did _what!?" _Frinos pushed the girl away from him with ferocious force, anger building in his abdomen like a volcano preparing for eruption. His pain melted away in that instant to a dying ebb, then nothing. He didn't even register his nerve endings twinge as he strode forward.

Naomi sprawled four feet away from him on the cobblestones, making no attempt to get up as Frinos advanced.

The teenager felt his own eyes prick with tears as he gazed at the other Pokéshifter below him. He could tell Naomi was meeting his gaze intensely, though her irises were partially covered by her own scattered fringe.

"_Why?_" he demanded through shallow, almost guttural breaths. Anger was not an emotion the easygoing, relaxed Frinos felt often, and now he was struggling to deal with such a vehement feeling.

"Because he was in my way," Naomi answered, her expression unreadable. "Also, good target practice."

In that instant, Frinos let his fury completely overtake him. He let his teeth elongate into canines, his hands transform to paws, ears sprout from the roots of his hair and a majestic, jewel-like tail grow instantly from his lower spine. He tapped into the icy energy held deep within him, as he had done countless times before, and let the power flow through his bloodstream into every cell.

"You psychopath… you selfish, sadistic bitch!" Frinos yelled, his voice becoming angrier with every word. "I'll freeze you to death. It's too bad it won't be half as painful as whatever you did to Haku." He poured all of his contempt, hatred and anguish into his attack – forming an Ice Beam so cold Frinos's vision was framed by frozen moisture on his eyelashes.

Naomi seemed to gaze up at him almost impassively – apart from a large smile visible on the lower half of her face. A smirk, taunting him, saying, _Go on, Iceboy. Do your worst._

Frinos was just about to let rip when he heard a sudden voice – so clear it took him a moment to realise the sound came from his own mind.

_Killing her won't do anything. Or anything good, at least._

The Glaceon Pokéshifter paused in half-human form, contemplating those words. Though his eyes remained fixed on Naomi, and the frigid beam of Ice Type energy continued fusing within his mouth.

_Think about it. Y'know? She might've killed _your _friend, but you're not one to kill others just for the sake of revenge, now are you? Are you?_

_No. Yes. I-I don't know… _Frinos admitted to the voice.

_You aren't. I'm pretty sure. _The voice – presumably of Frinos's own conscience – sighed. _But anyway, why would you kill someone who had saved your life once before?_

_Yes, but… saving a life and taking a life… isn't the same thing, _Frinos retaliated.

Only Arceus knows how long Frinos would've stood there, directing his Ice Beam like a cannonball at Naomi's chest and arguing with his own conscience – if at that particular point in time an Articuno and Flygon had not dropped simultaneously out of the sky, landing deftly not ten metres away from him.

"Aack!" Frinos hurriedly morphed back to fully human form, only now aware of the fact he was in a public place. Fortunately for him, it didn't seem that any onlookers had noticed his transformation – apart from the two Pokémon, of course. Two pairs of eyes gazed at him curiously; one of a glacial blue, the other pair coloured dark jade.

Even though he was positive he hadn't seen either Pokémon before, he thought they looked vaguely familiar. For a second, he thought he was daydreaming – after all, it wasn't exactly every day you came across a legendary bird and a rare desert-dwelling Pokémon right in the heart of Eterna City.

It didn't hit him until the flying pair's forms were enveloped in golden light, which then dissipated to reveal two teenage girls about his age, perhaps slightly younger than him.

_Of course… they're those two Pokéshifters… _Frinos grumbled silently. He almost slapped himself.

Flandre, the Flygon, burst into gales of laughter. "What's with the gormless look, Frinos? You look like you've seen a Ghost-Type come outta nowhere!"

"S-sorry," Frinos mumbled, scratching the cerulean hairs on the back of his neck the way he always did in an awkward situation. "I… I didn't know your Pokémon forms. So you're a legendary too, Alice? That's… that's pretty amazing." He managed one of his genuine smiles despite what had just happened.

"Yeah." The Articuno Pokéshifter shrugged. "I've been getting that my entire life. Legendary this, legendary that – we're supposed to all be dead, but that's a total myth!" she snorted. Meeting Frinos's gaze, she continued, "And don't think I didn't see what you were doing there, Glaceon. Are you trying to get us caught? Shifting right in the middle of the road like that? And I know that girl's a piss-taker, but like Jean said, we shouldn't be trying to kill our comrades on missions." Rant finished, she let out a long sigh.

Frinos found himself stricken by her words. His anger had long drained out of him, replaced first by surprise and now giving way to a deep, throbbing guilt. _She's right. I can't believe how close I came to doing… what I almost did, right before these guys showed up. _He turned to Naomi, who had scrambled to her knees and was now pulling herself up from the ground. She refused to meet his eyes.

He couldn't help feeling a twinge of anger – after all, it wasn't like he could ever forgive her for what she did – but still, right here and right now, he and Naomi were partners on a mission. He couldn't make her answer for what she had done right now.

_But I'll get to the bottom of this later, _Frinos promised. He had acted in a rage before, so he hadn't really thought about it, but… Naomi was acting strangely. Definitely very suspiciously. She had actually seemed _sorry _for what she had done before Frinos had pushed her to the ground. Then she had just lain there with all her defences open, when she could've easily picked herself up and retaliated. It was almost… like she _wanted _Frinos to hit her with all his strength, like she _wanted_ to feel the vengeance and the wrath of the friend of the person she'd killed.

_She must feel just as guilty as I do._

Frinos felt he had to say something, but "sorry" wasn't the right word to use in this situation, and he couldn't think of anything better to say.

It turned out he never needed to say anything, as right at that point Flandre spoke up.

"Yeah, well… so long as you _don't _kill anyone, that's alright, eh?" She punctuated this with a nervous chortle. "But that's not what we came to see you two about," she continued, her tone becoming more serious. "As we were scouting above the city in our Pokémon forms, we came across Piko. Looks like she's found a Pokéshifter, but she's run into trouble… _Big _trouble. She'll probably need back-up from the whole team!"

"We know exactly where she is," put in Alice. "We just need you two to follow our lead. But we've got to hurry – judging by the state we saw her in just a few minutes ago, she won't hold out long…"

"No way!" Frinos gasped.

"Come on, then!" urged Flandre, breaking into a sprint across the cobbles. Alice swiftly followed, looking back and beckoning at the Glaceon and Ekans duo to emphasise the point.

Naomi herself was off like a bullet train, pounding with speed Frinos wasn't aware she had. However, the Pokéshifter had a nasty feeling that it wasn't for Piko's sake. She was using this as an excuse to get away from Frinos.

_I tried to kill her, so it's pretty understandable… _Still, it didn't make that fact any less heart-wrenching. He'd let himself believe they had the beginnings of a friendship. But were they actually _compatible? _Did Naomi even _want _to get attached to anyone in such a way? She saved his life… so what? It didn't mean she had any special liking for him. It just meant she was in the right place at the right time. She still hadn't told him exactly _why _she had saved him back at Genmi's HQ, but Frinos liked to believe she hadn't done it just for her own personal gain. Was that the actual reality of it, though…?

"Naomi… wait up!" he called, unable to stop himself as he lurched forward, pain slicing his sides like a knife dipped in flames. "I… I can't keep up in this… my condition!"

The Ekans Pokéshifter did not even look back.

He barely felt the solitary tear which cut a line of moisture down his cheek as he ground to a halt, gasping with exertion. He could only watch the three girls rocket into the distance through blurred vision.

It seemed the full dose of guilt and grief had finally caught up with him – like medication which took several minutes to fully kick in. Frinos felt like curling up into the position of an unborn foetus in the centre of the street and letting oceans run out of his tear ducts. He wanted to forget the rest of the hard, cruel world he lived in even existed.

And he would have done that, for Arceus knows how long, had a sudden voice not infiltrated his thought patterns.

It was one word, and one voice, which made all the difference.

"Frinos."

It was that cool, calm, collected tone. A tone with reason and intellect, but also urgency, behind it. Frinos only needed to hear that one word, and the way in which the voice's owner pronounced it, to know exactly who it was.

"Frinos, can you hear me?"

_"__Yes, yes, I can!" _Frinos wanted to scream, _"but that's impossible. It can't be real. You're supposed to be…"_

"Dead," Frinos choked out loud, innately turning in the direction of the sound.

Directly opposite Frinos's vantage point, looming out of the shadows of an alleyway which partially concealed him, was the unmistakeable form of a certain Absol Pokéshifter.

Right down to the individual black streaks in his silvery hair, and every shade within his mysterious amethystine eyes – every fine detail was clear in Frinos's eyes. Haku, his friend, one hundred per cent. This was no cheap Ditto transformation. It was the real deal.

Frinos was so busy staring at Haku, he almost didn't notice the unfamiliar girl standing directly behind him.

Well, _standing _was meant in a loose term. She leant against the greyish brick wall, wheezing and gasping as if she had just completed a lap of the entire planet. She was muttering words along with every strained breath, which Frinos just managed to make out as: "How…. wise of you… Mr Wise… Guy… flying and… using my invisibility… powers… at the same time… is just… I'm so pooped…" She seemed to slide further down the wall with every sentence, finally falling hard on her buttocks. Wispy brownish-blonde hair streaked her reddened face, wherein her eyes were clamped shut.

"Thanks and sorry about that, Maddy," Haku murmured, before focusing on Frinos, the serious expression on his face replaced by one of his knowing smiles. "Well, looks like we meet again, Frinos Rayong."

"I… a minute ago, I was sure you were dead!" he screamed, not caring what any pedestrians walking by might think of his outburst. "And you're… you're just standing there like this happens daily!"

Haku shrugged, responding with nothing less than another witticism. "That's funny. About an hour ago, _I _thought _you _were locked up in a lab somewhere being experimented on. But now you're here, in Eterna, as free as a Rufflet."

"I should be the one pointing out that _you're _here, instead of being dead!" seethed Frinos. "Explain all this, Haku!"

"Sure. I don't need you to explain your cause, anyway; I know it – or at least the gist of it – already. I can assume from the conversation me and Maddy picked up on that you're here to search for Pokéshifters, specifically our friends back at the camp. But…"

Haku's voice became suddenly sombre, and Frinos instantly knew what was coming next. "It's no use, Frinos. The camp's destroyed, along with a substantial amount of the forest itself. Our friends are dead. We're the only survivors left of the Squad."

As the Absol Pokéshifter said this, his own violet eyes began to quiver and shimmer. Frinos had never seen Haku cry, and never supposed he would – but that sight was suddenly just too much for him. He stumbled forward and practically fell onto his friend, gripping his body tightly and burying his face into those silver hairs, sobbing into them. "P-please… please say it's not true, Haku. Y-you're just teasing, ar-aren't you, you… despicable fart-face!" He laughed through his sobs, even though he knew his attempt at shining light on the dark situation was feeble at best.

Haku did not laugh, but he squeezed Frinos back around the middle. "It's true, Frinos… I saw it with my own eyes. I… don't want to believe it," the boy's voice cracked, if only for a second.

Frinos's sobs intensified. "I-I don't either, just… My own twin sister! A life without her… no way, that isn't even possible!" At that point, Frinos howled. He howled higher and louder than your average Mightyena choir, and with more anguish than an orphaned Cubone. The two Pokéshifters, Absol and Glaceon, stayed linked with their arms around each other for what felt like an age.

By the time Frinos pulled out of the hug, the girl, Maddy, had regained enough energy to stand up. Her face still had a rosy tint, but she no longer looked as if she were about to collapse. She stayed at a distance, knowing she shouldn't get involved, but still looked on, her amber eyes tinged with sympathy.

The Glaceon Pokéshifter rubbed residual tears from his eyes, noticing he had well and truly soaked the black cloth of Haku's jacket.

"Wh-what do we do now?" Frinos mumbled, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

Haku sighed. "Well… I noticed that you've "joined a new family", as they say… and that's fine, I suppose. You've got an injured ally on your hands. I suspect they'll need you." The corners of his lips spread into a warm smile. "Even in the condition you're in, I'm sure you'll be able to find them."

"But-"

"Use your Pokémon form. Trust me; I know you can do this."

"It's not that," Frinos began. "I want to… stick with you, Haku! True, I've got new friends… well. I'm not sure if they really are my friends…" He dropped his gaze. "But I can't leave you… unless, of course, you want to come with us."

The young Pokéshifter shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't. Me and Maddy need to leave the city _now, _as there are people chasing us and –"

"Genmi?!" Frinos questioned, gasping.

"…Well, maybe. Thing is, we don't know."

The Glaceon Pokéshifter's lips formed a _tch _sound. "And I thought _I _was the one in the dark around here. You still haven't told me how you came back from the dead," he stated accusingly.

Haku breathed an apologetic sigh. "What that girl named Naomi said was true. She _did _try to kill me. But… I was healed by Maddy here before the Acid she injected into me could take full effect. You've got her to thank for this reunion of ours."

Frinos's gazed switched to the girl in the background. Her mouth formed a small grin.

"Yep. Healing and flying, 'tis what I do. Maddy, Latias Pokéshifter, at your service."

"Holy Arceus… another one…" Frinos murmured under his breath. First Genesect, then Articuno, now Latias. It was practically unbelievable. How many legendary Pokéshifters could a single person meet in one day?

"But still… why can't I come with you?"

"I never said you couldn't," replied Haku pointedly. "That is, so long as Maddy can carry an extra passenger."

A groan of exasperation emitted from the Latias Pokéshifter. "You ask too much, Mr Wise Guy. I mean, how much can a girl do? Letting you ride on my back while I concealed us both with my invisibility down sapped almost my entire energy. And then I had to hide us both in this alleyway 'cos you were too scared to go out and greet your long-lost friend to his face."

"That was because other _people _were there," Haku reasoned. "Like I said, I wanted to talk to Frinos _alone_."

"Wait," Frinos interjected, "for how long were you two listening in on me and Naomi?"

Maddy shrugged. "Not sure. But we saw you when you were about to turn that Ekans Pokéshifter into a cryogenic ice cube. To be honest, I think she would've deserved it, but-"

"No. Frinos was right not to kill her. I wouldn't have wanted him to end up a murderer because of my own alleged death."

"Then why didn't you intervene-"

Haku held out his arm dismissively. "I'll tell you later, Maddy. This might be the last chance I ever get to talk to Frinos."

"Wh-what?! Why?" the said Pokéshifter asked, puzzled.

"I'm – we're – leaving Sinnoh," he revealed. "And it's unlikely we'll come back anytime soon. So unless you come with us… well. That's self-explanatory."

"But _why, _Haku?"

The silver-haired boy leaned in close. "Because I had a dream."

Although Frinos knew exactly what he was referring to, Maddy looked utterly incredulous.

"Eh?" she muttered. "Why wasn't I told about this?"

Frinos almost laughed. _Typical Haku. He never tells you anything until the last minute._

Then the Absol Pokéshifter muttered another "tell you later" which caused Maddy to seethe: "Sometimes you're just annoying, Mr Wise Guy!"

Haku couldn't help but chuckle, but when he met Frinos's gaze his tone became serious. Deep purple eyes penetrated his own chestnut browns. "We need to leave _now, _Frinos. But it's all down to you. You can come with us, or you can stay."

Frinos realised he had to make a split-second decision. Did he accompany Haku on a crazy adventure to who knows where, their only lead being whatever nightmarish, prophetic scene Haku had envisioned? Or did he stay in Eterna, try and track down his new allies and help Jean's crew of Pokéshifters stop Genmi once and for all?

At first, it seemed like an obvious choice – who would forsake an old friend for a bunch of people he hardly knew? But if he did run off with Haku, what _was _he truly leaving behind? The chance to hit back at Genmi for what they'd done, for one thing. Although that had long been the Squad's dream, they could hardly take on an entire organisation by themselves. If Leone and the others were dead, he might as well join a new cause - a much bigger one, one capable of perhaps one day having the power to rival, or even topple their enemies. And he had actually ended up in Jean's band unintentionally. So why throw the chance to be part of that away?

_But will anyone really miss me, if I go with Haku? Do I even know them well enough? _Frinos wondered.

But then he remembered Asuka. Despite hardly knowing the girl, he somehow knew she would bawl if he left. She was just that kind of person. Also, he still needed to talk to Naomi… And then there would be so many other characters he'd never get to meet, get to know, or work with.

But what about Haku and Maddy? What if he _didn't _ever meet them again?

_No way. It's an impossible choice. If I go, I'll regret I left the others, and if I stay, I'll regret I left Haku._

"I… can't…" he finally muttered.

"You can't what?" asked Maddy curiously.

"Choose," he grunted.

"It's too bad…" commented Haku. "If only I'd developed my instantaneous cloning technology by now, you wouldn't have to choose…" the Absol Pokéshifter quipped, smiling.

Frinos couldn't help it – he burst out laughing, all his confusion and negativity vaporising, if just for a second. _His witty remarks would be the thing I'd miss most about him._

"I-It's okay, Haku. I've decided."

"You have? Spill the beans, then," urged Maddy.

"I'm staying."

Even Haku seemed surprised by that simple statement.

Frinos turned away, clutching his left side, which had begun to ache as if an injection syringe had been inserted then left in for too long. "What you said… you're right as usual, Haku. They're going to need me… and also, like you said, I've found a new family." He paused. "Y'know… you don't leave at the beginning, not when there's so much potential." He swivelled his neck around to gaze back at his friend. "And you have no idea."

Haku grinned. "Are you really going to say that?"

"Yep," Frinos chortled.

"We'll need to set off now. Maddy, are you up for it?" he directed at the Latias Pokéshifter.

"Sure, Mr Wise Guy. Let's go on an adventure that will probably break my back from your weight," she replied, rolling her eyes but grinning simultaneously.

"I'm not as heavy as I look," Haku protested. "Also, if you are attempting to call me "fat", I suggest you go up to a Snorlax and say that to his face."

_Ha, they're just like a married couple, _Frinos observed.

"Haku."

Their eyes met, once again. _For perhaps the last time… _he thought wistfully.

"I'm going to miss you, you know that, right?"

"Of course. Don't think I'm not going to miss you too, despite your mediocre thinking capacity." That knowing smile widened.

"Hey, not everyone can be a _genius_ like you!"

"I know that," the Pokéshifter replied. "Just remember that while I might not be around, you're not alone. You're _never _alone," he added, winking.

Frinos forced himself to avert his gaze and began picking his way across the cobbles. He held his hand up in a gesture of farewell. "See you, Haku." He paused for second, before adding, "And… and thanks. For… for everything, really."

"Goodbye, Frinos Rayong. And thank you too."

He almost jumped as he heard a rapid _woosh _behind him, much like a plane taking off, only quieter.

Whipping round, he saw the alleyway's entrance was as empty as a blank piece of paper, holding no evidence that two Pokéshifters were there just a moment ago.

Frinos's eyes pricked with tears again, but he blinked them back. He glanced around the street, but the only passers-by he noticed were too deep in conversation to notice anything outside their zone.

_No more crying, _he promised, feeling himself shift.

Seconds later, he took off down the street as a Glaceon, ignoring the pain in his sides and his legs and following the chemical, poison-like scent of Ekans, which was intermingled with the aroma of icy mountains and baking sands – presumably Articuno and Flygon.

_"__I don't care what that so-called genius says," _he uttered to himself as he ran, _"because we _are _going to meet again."_


	12. Chapter 12: Under Cover Of Night

**Chapter Twelve: Under Cover Of Night**

**_THAT ABSOL POKÉSHIFTER _****didn't know **it, but he felt heavier on Maddy's back than a Snorlax with a hangover. Her slender Latias wings squealed with a million neural messages every time she so much as contracted them. And because that irritatingly intelligent _genius _had insisted on her flying _above _the clouds, where the oxygen levels were lung-searingly low, she could barely tell the clouds from the sun through her blurry vision.

Maddy didn't get it. Why was he so intent on getting to that damn region of Kalos so urgently? She'd asked him numerous times during the flight, but all he would say was, "I'll tell you when we get there".

_But it kinda feels like that won't ever happen… _Maddy groaned internally. _I've been flying for… what? Two hours? Three? More?_

When they'd left Eterna, it had been mid-afternoon, roughly three-o'clock-ish. Now it had to be getting on for about eight, as the rolling cloudy fells below were beginning to take on a rosy tint. Even though she couldn't remember declining altitude, she could've sworn that plain of fluffy Altaria feathers was closer than it had been an hour before.

_Holy Arceus, I need to rest before I fall asleep on the job._

Tapping into her dwindling reserves of energy, she twisted her long Latias neck round to come face-to-face with a head of white fur. Prominent purple eyes framed by enigmatic silver markings met hers, but they seemed to be gazing in the direction of the sunset ahead rather than actually at the Latias Pokéshifter. Although the canine-filled mouth below his dark snout betrayed no emotion, Maddy could sense the forlorn feelings outpouring from his eyes.

And it didn't take a genius to work out he must've been thinking about Frinos.

_"__Chin up," _Maddy reassured Haku, smiling through her various aches and pains. _"You'll see him again, won't you?"_

The purple-eyed Pokéshifter lowered his gaze, and for a moment Maddy thought he wasn't going to reply, before she heard: _"Look, I'm not planning on ever going back to Sinnoh, alright? So unless _he _ends up in Kalos too, for whatever reason, it's not going to happen."_

A loud sigh, made guttural by his Absol voicebox, was ejected before he continued. _"Once we get to Kalos, I'm going to treat this entire adventure as if we're starting over. There's nothing left in Sinnoh for me now, Maddy. Not since the fire."_

_"…__Okay," _was all she said in reply. She knew arguing with Haku would be pointless. Besides, she'd grown to trust him in the short time they'd travelled together – she figured she might as well tag along, considering she didn't have any other ideas as to where she should go. Going on an adventure with Mr Wise Guy opened up lots of possibilities for meeting other Pokéshifters, and, if she was lucky enough, perhaps one of those would be Ryuu.

_Gee, what would the chances of that be? Still, what _happened _to him, though? Did Genmi get him, or…_

_"__I know you're practically sleeping on your wings there," _Haku broke in, interrupting Maddy's thought pattern. _"So how's about we see what's below?"_

_And now he acknowledges the feelings of his partner, _Maddy felt like groaning, but she lacked the energy for more than a one-word response.

Falling, on the other hand, was easy. She simply let the pent-up air out of her body, folded her wings and gave in to gravity. Moisture brushed her down-covered body as the duo passed the cloudy border between the realms of sky and ground.

Maddy was surprised to see how _dark_ the world had become under the cloud cover. With no cities and towns in sight, the landscape spread out before the two Pokéshifters was nothing but wilderness swathed in darkness. The scenery didn't give her any inkling as to how close they were to Kalos – and if Haku knew anything about their current position (which he probably did), he didn't share it. Still, Maddy kept her nose pointed towards the ground, eyes fixed on their destination as she swooped into a sloping dive.

_"__There," _suggested Haku, motioning towards a seemingly abandoned, tree-lined hilltop about fifty feet below them. _"The trees over there curve over, concealing the grass below. That'll give us an almost-perfect shelter."_

_"'__Kay. Well, you're the genius."_

Maddy navigated over the treetops, slaloming through high branches effortlessly before descending once she found an opening large enough. As soon as she touched the moon-dappled grass, she reverted to her human form and stretched out her limbs like a dried-up Staryu.

"Ahhh… that was possibly the most painful flight of my life," she wheezed. "Don't make me ever do that again." As she uttered this, she turned to Haku. "And naturally, I'm starving. Too bad I forgot my rucksack…" Thinking wistfully of her cosy little cliffside cavern in Eterna Forest, she sighed. There'd been only a couple of residual chocolate bars remaining, but it had at least been something. "You wouldn't happen to have had the wisdom to bring any nosh with you, eh, Mr Wise Guy?"

"Nosh?" Haku eyed her. "It's true… we should've brought some supplies at Eterna while we were there, but time was of the essence. I didn't want to take any chances with that potentially dangerous duo on our tails, especially since they witnessed _you_ transform right before their eyes."

"Uh-huh," Maddy groaned, unconvinced that that was a suitable enough excuse for having absolute nil in terms of food supplies. Haku had explained the bare bones of what had gone on between himself and the odious double team who called themselves Sedemihcra and Wookbrom, but having been asleep for most of the exchange, the Latias Pokéshifter was still finding the reasoning for their rapid departure hard to grasp. "Do you even remember the last time you ate, Mr Wise Guy? 'Cos I don't."

Haku shrugged as if the very notion of hunger didn't bother him. "Well, just yesterday I remember having lunch with the Squad. We were all so alive and carefree… just yesterday. So much has happened since then, that I've hardly had time to feel hungry, Maddy."

"You… you must be immortal," Maddy commented incredulously as her stomach complained loudly in the background.

Haku's smile was broad, but tinged with fresh grief and sadness. "Maddy Khaze, you are hereby established as the comedian of this adventure." As soon as the light-hearted sentence was complete, however, his face reverted back to a serious expression. "On the subject of food… are we not Pokéshifters? We both have experience in wilderness survival, don't we?"

Maddy blinked. "Oh, yeah! Wherever there's trees, or Pokémon… there's gonna be food somewhere!" Without any further ado, she pivoted on the heels of her trainers and made to head into the shadowy forest around them. "Coming, Mr Wise Guy?"

Haku held back. He seemed to be surveying the clearing – analysing the situation, as he always seemed to be doing. "Wait. Something here seems familiar, somehow…"

Maddy, however, wasn't listening to him. Her eyes were too focused on her latest find – a massive, gnarled tree near the centre of the clearing, its branches fit to bursting with ripened, swollen Sitrus Berries. "Well, lookie here! Berries aren't human food, but they sure go down a treat in Pokémon form! It's nosh time!"

She was just about to use her remaining energy reserves to dash to the berry-bearing behemoth when she was halted by Haku's voice.

"That's convenient," he muttered thoughtfully. "Almost _too_ convenient…"

"Wh-what do you mean, Mr Wise Guy?" Maddy garbled, confusion bubbling in the pit of her belly like a flurry of BubbleBeam.

"I mean," Haku pronounced ominously as he met her eyes, "that we've fallen right into a trap."

"A wha-" was all Maddy had time to say before Haku tackled her milliseconds after a rapid mid-launch shift. The Pokéshifter's sleek Absol form knocked her down like a bowling pin, driving all the oxygen from her lungs.

The viridian grassy patch she had stood on moments before had been reduced to a blackened pit, as if someone had ignited a two-second bonfire there before hastily extinguishing it. But as Maddy gazed out from behind Haku's silver-whitish fur, she found it hard not to miss the true cause of the manhole-sized smoking crater in the ground.

A sleek, foxlike Pokémon stood with the rising moon at its back, casting a dappled, silvery corona over its shadowy form. Its body was swathed in dark grey, black and maroon fur, and four chrome bands glinted on its left arm. As Maddy's own amber eyes rested on the Pokémon's burgundy orbs, a neurone sparked in her brain, telling her: _Zoroark._

She didn't know a lot about the Pokémon, admittedly – but she had heard about their ability to manipulate the minds of those around them to control fully what others could see. A true master of illusions.

_Damn… is this what Haku meant by being lured into a trap? As in… being trapped in that Pokémon's illusion?_

The Latias Pokéshifter gritted her teeth. In regular circumstances, she'd be up in the air already, in Pokémon form, raining down Mist Ball and Dragon Pulse on the irritating Zoroark who seemed to be attacking them out of the blue.

But her side ached from where Haku had rammed her, and all her muscles still felt battered from the flight. She found that the prospect of lying on the soft, strangely comfy grass and letting the last of her energy seep into the ground was far more appealing than throwing herself into a fight where she'd just accumulate more injuries.

_Damn… of course this would happen. When I need energy the most, I've got none. That Mr Wise Guy won't be so wise when I'm through with him…_

Haku, meanwhile, straightened and faced his attacker, barking in the language of Pokémon. _"Absol. Ab-Absol!"_

Maddy got the gist of what he was saying; _"You're not a wild Pokémon. Who else is out there?" _(How he had figured that out, though, Maddy hadn't a clue.)

The Zoroark remained silent as a Ghost-Type, red eyes panning between the two Pokéshifters. Then, the sleek Pokémon vanished, becoming nothing more than a dark blur – blink and you'd miss it.

If Haku hadn't seemingly anticipated the attack, he would've had his right eye gouged out. At the very last minute, he parried the Zoroark's Night Slash with another Night Slash of his own.

The Pokémon jumped back, but clearly wasn't finished, as it rushed back just as quickly. This time, the move was Body Slam, but Haku dodged nimbly, shooting off his own Thunderbolt.

The electric-yellow lance hit the Zoroark directly in the chest. Howling, it crumpled to the ground, its body spasming and sparking with Electric-Type energy.

_Whoa, _Maddy mused. _Haku does himself down. He's actually pretty damn powerful in battle…_

The Latias Pokéshifter desperately wanted to join the fight, but her muscles seemed to be on strike. Even simply twitching her fingers was strenuous. _Arceus, what have I done to myself?_

"Pathetic girl," sounded a casual feminine tone from behind Maddy.

She jumped, wondering if someone had managed to invade her thoughts, before the voice continued disdainfully: "You made it too easy. You sure flew fast, though – I'll give you that. We were playing catch-up since we lost you over Eterna Forest." The speaker sighed, though Maddy couldn't tell if it was sarcastic or genuine. "But finding you again was infinitely easier once we had clocked you were headed to _Kalos, _of all places."

Smiling without mirth, a tall brunette woman hovered into Maddy's view. She gazed down at the fatigued Pokéshifter through cold slate-grey eyes which saw before them not a young girl nor a Pokéshifter, but rather a disgusting, grotesque creature; a _freak._

Maddy felt the anger simmer inside her like a pot of hot soup. _Freak _was something she'd been labelled as many times, since the day she was born, but it had never ceased to get her riled. She didn't understand why she should be treated differently just because she was born with Pokéshifter genes.

Maddy's eyes flickered to the suit the woman was wearing, which was coloured an unmistakable grey hue similar to that of her eyes; with the purplish letter G stitched on at the lapel.

_Genmi. What is their issue with Pokéshifters, huh?_

She'd seen them many times before, and none of her encounters had been good in any way. She felt the fury inside her reach a crescendo, and, without really realising it, she summoned her last vestiges of energy and got to her feet. Her shallow breaths were wheezy and ragged, but she still felt as though she could take this woman.

The Genmi worker, however, looked amused. "Oh, my. Wanting to play tough? Well, I suppose Hypno can clean you up. Dear little Sakura is already taking care of your friend."

_Sakura…? _Maddy wondered, puzzled, before it hit her. _Does she mean the Zoroark…?_

Maddy glanced over her shoulder to see that the tables in Haku's fight had been rapidly turned. Far from being unconscious or even paralysed, the Zoroark was now slashing at the Absol Pokéshifter with a whole barrage of attacks.

Haku dodged most of them, but the Pokémon was too fast for any of his counterattacks to make contact. Whipping up a ferocious-looking Razor Wind, he yelped, _"Sol! Ab-sol!"_

She wondered for a second if she'd lost something in translation, as Haku sounded as if he was yelling, _"Snap out of it! They are manipulating you!"_

However, she didn't get any more time to think about it, as a sudden bout of formless energy slammed into her like a solid iron wall, flinging her backwards. She registered her back hitting the Sitrus Berry tree, however the trunk seemed to give way under her, as if it were a deflated bouncy castle, before dissipating into purplish dust.

_Huh? …So it was an illusion, after all…_

Maddy briefly wondered if the entire _area _had been fabricated by that one Zoroark. Not just the plateau they were stood on, but the forest surrounding it? Perhaps even the sky? The moon? The clouds?

_Maybe we're still in Eterna…? _she contemplated groggily.

However, she was brought back into reality by a shout of "Hypno, use Psychic!" and the wall of energy slammed into her again, stronger this time, knocking her into the air, then swinging her back to the ground in a telekinetic bungee-jump motion.

Through the pain of the impact, Maddy somehow found the air required to cough, but when she did, she spat up a dark liquid which could only be blood.

_N-no… I can't give in to them… I've got to… got to do it for Ryuu…_

As the woman's Hypno stood over Maddy menacingly, pendulum in hand, the Pokémon's mistress cocked her head, raising one eyebrow. "Still awake, huh, Latias? You are a glutton for punishment, aren't you?" Gazing at Maddy balefully, she strode forward until she was standing abreast with her Hypno. "It's too bad I would get gutted for killing a _legendary _like you out in the field. I think all you Pokéshifters should die. What have you ever done to help the world? Humans and Pokémon are meant to coexist, but Pokéshifters…? They abuse their powers. They're just selfish freaks. What's Miss Atomica doing wasting her time on _experiments _with them? Doesn't she remember that _one killed my brother?!" _she growled, her finger poised in Maddy's direction, mouth open to issue a command to her Hypno-

She never got to say it, as at that exact moment the Hypno in question crashed forward onto its yellowish, pointed nose. Haku stood in the Psychic-Type's place, his claws still glowing purple from the Night Slash attack.

The Genmi woman's eyes widened in shock and horror. "Hypno, no! S-sakura-?" she garbled, panning her eyes around the plateau for the Zoroark.

The Pokémon was roughly in the centre of the clearing – in the exact spot where the illusionary Sitrus Berry tree had stood. In mid-pursuit of Haku, it had abruptly stopped, grasped its furry head in its claws and directed a howl straight at the night sky above.

The sound was so horrible Maddy was tempted to shield her ears, however she remained, transfixed, watching the Zoroark morph into a glowing orb of golden light, then re-forming into a humanoid shape.

Messy, black, red-streaked hair drawn into a long ponytail swooped down from her forehead to her lower back, and tearful red eyes met those of the two Pokéshifters and the human. She appeared younger than Maddy, in her early teens, perhaps.

Although the girl's howl of anguish had ceased, the next words she spoke were no less melancholy – however, they were quieter than the whistle of a light breeze, and choked up with tears. Maddy found she had to strain to hear them.

"I-I-I'm sorry, H-haku…" sniffed the Zoroark Pokéshifter.

* * *

_Just my flippin' luck, _Piko thought grudgingly as she weighed her situation.

Surrounded on all sides by the unmistakeable forms of Genmi thugs and their hulking Pokémon – in this case, an evil-eyed Aerodactyl and a fearsomely-fanged Walrein – Piko was beginning to feel her hope deteriorating, being replaced instead with panic. It didn't help matters that, being a Houdoom Pokéshifter, she was weak to the Rock- and Water-Type attacks the other two Pokémon would undoubtedly deal out to her. But the most irritating thing for Piko was the fact the Pokéshifter she had spent so long trying to track down was being utterly useless.

She simply stood there, cowering and chowing down on her nails as if the keratin was the tastiest thing in the world. She looked to be about Piko's age - or perhaps slightly older. Glossy black hair framed her shoulders and her dark indigo eyes swerved around the small plaza rapidly, as if looking for any openings. Unfortunately, there were none.

_Damn. If it was that simple, and we could just run away, we'd be outta here by now… The only way's gonna be if me and her attack them both right at the same time…_

Piko already knew that the girl she'd found shifted into a Deino. Whether she knew any powerful moves or not, however, was down to sheer luck. Still, she'd only need to launch off one attack if Piko's plan was to work.

"Hey!" the Houndoom Pokéshifter called brusquely, causing the other girl to flinch and meet her gaze shyly. "Shift! Now!"

The other teenager's form quivered even faster. "N-n-no… I-I can't!"

"What do you-" Piko began, but was cut off as pain erupted in her shoulders. The Aerodactyl's talons pierced her skin in an iron grip, sweeping her effortlessly into the air.

_Guess I'll have to get myself out of this, _Piko thought, clenching her teeth, _and it's that girl's own fault for being ridiculous._

"Oh, no you don't, you idiotic dinosaur!" the Houndoom Pokéshifter yelled defiantly, transforming, then twisting out of the prehistoric Pokémon's grip.

She then decided to give the Aerodactyl a taste of his own medicine. Clamping her jaws over one purplish, scaly leg, she set her mouth ablaze, and sunk those flame-cloaked fangs into the Pokémon via a red-hot Fire Fang.

Shrieking, the fossil Pokémon flung Piko sideways. She landed nimbly on her feet, skidding on the paving stones before stopping. But the Aerodactyl was pretty fast himself. All too soon, Piko found herself skipping left and right to avoid being Crunched in the massive Pokémon's maw.

The Deino Pokéshifter, however, hadn't moved an inch other than ducking to dodge a single Ice Ball from her Walrein opponent. The next one hit her full in the chest, bowling her backwards as she yelped with the cold and pain.

_"__You've got to shift!" _Piko growled as she flung herself out of the path of the Aerodactyl's AncientPower.

Seeming to understand her, the girl protested back, "N-not right now! I-I don't-"

She never finished her sentence. She ended up hooked onto the Walrein's sabre-fangs before being juggled into the air and having several Ice Balls shot at her in quick succession.

Piko winced each time one impacted. And then the Deino Pokéshifter landed so hard the granite flooring fractured underneath her body.

But despite her Dragon-Type weakness to Ice-Type moves, the teenager picked herself up without complaint, clearly trying to ignore her battered body and the icy shrapnel embedded in her limbs and cheeks.

Piko watched as she made a break for it – running at an unbelievable speed a galloping Rapidash would find hard to match. However, the Walrein acted ahead of time.

The Houndoom Pokéshifter looked away as the Ice Beam hit. _Bloody Houndour. And after I used up so much energy chasing that kid through the streets…_

When Piko had first encountered her, she'd caught the whiff of Pokéshifter on her immediately. So she then attempted to be subtle about it, following her discreetly until they ended up in a suitably secluded place. But as soon as Piko stepped in to confront the girl, she yelped and bolted off, transforming into a Deino as she did so. Piko had to hand it to her – that girl was abnormally quick when she was terrified. It had taken Piko a while to find her again.

But when they'd reunited again in this plaza, they were cornered. It was almost as if Genmi had been planning this. _Well, if that girl had had Genmi on her tail anyway, that explains why she was so spooked by me coming out of the shadows like I did…_

A crushing thought then dawned on her: _And now we're _never_ going to get out of this without getting captured, or killed. Small help the others would be if they even did care._

Too late, Piko realised that the battlefield was hardly a good place for reminiscing or berating herself. She found herself a second later twenty feet in the air, with her sleek Houndoom body immobilised between the serrated jaws of the larger-than-life Aerodactyl.

Past the blood roaring in her ears, Piko made out the crowing voices of her would-be captors. "Now, Aerodactyl! Finish her!"

In that instant, Piko was convinced she was doomed right then and there. So when she found herself free-falling from the yowling Rock-Type's slackened jaws, she almost forgot to whip herself upright.

As she landed, her head instantly shot upwards to behold the gargantuan Aerodactyl as a bluish-red beam of DragonBreath hit its chest. An Ice Shard followed in quick succession, and the fossil Pokémon crashed limply to the ground not two feet from Piko.

Panning her red eyes suspiciously in the direction of the attack, she drank in the forms of a Flygon and Articuno aloft side by side, almost casually beating the air with powerful wings.

Back on the ground, another person came charging into the fray. Piko shot a glare her way, recognising the girl as the violet-haired, snobby-faced Pokéshifter she'd first met in the grove prior to being sent on the mission. But the teenager didn't even cast her eyes over the Houndoom Pokéshifter – she simply leapt, launching herself at the Walrein after a two-second airborne transformation.

The hapless Ice/Water-Type never even saw it coming. The golden-and-purple Ekans streaked towards him, and a moment later he got a faceful of Acid.

Piko simply gazed at her three-strong reinforcements for a second, before realising, _They… they came for me? _She almost didn't dare believe it.

But that was an issue to be saved for later. For now, Piko couldn't resist getting involved in the action. Snarling as only a Houndoom could, she dashed at the blubbery Pokémon, shooting off a Dark Pulse with all her strength behind it. The Walrein was engulfed in the resounding explosion of darkness, keeling over as it submitted defeat.

Meanwhile, the pair from Genmi gazed across at each other, distraught.

"O-O-o-oh, Ar-Arceus," blubbered one. "Th-that's a few too many Pokéshifters to handle…"

His comrade giggled nervously as he answered, "Yup, you said it, mate! Let's get outta here!"

With that, the not-so dynamic duo sprinted off down the paved streets of Eterna, returning their Pokémon into their Poké Ball capsules as they did so.

Piko didn't give chase. She was already worn out from her recent shenanigans, and she reasoned chasing after Genmi wasn't really supposed to be their priority here. At least, not yet.

Instead, she was more concerned with the status of the Deino Pokéshifter. _That damn girl better not be dead, _she thought as she shifted.

"Huh. You're not even that strong, especially for a fully-evolved form," insulted a voice from behind her.

Piko locked eyes with the Ekans Pokéshifter, feeling once again the strong urge to throttle the girl. Somehow, though, she managed to bottle it up this time.

The Articuno Pokéshifter, whom Piko knew as Alice, shot a gaze of sub-zero proportions right at Naomi. "Why do you have to be such an arsehole?" she grunted.

A hissing sound escaped from the Ekans Pokéshifter's lips. "Call it biting back. I don't care what you lot think, but that boy – I mean girl – tried to kill me."

Not saying a word, Piko managed to supress her volatile anger from being unleashed, though it was a struggle. _That… snake doesn't understand. None of them understand. They probably never would._

"H-hey… We're… we're still here!"

Piko vaguely recognised the voice as belonging to the Glaceon Pokéshifter who'd been drafted last-minute into the mission by Jean.

She fixed her gaze on him, noticing how his glasses had misted up from extreme cold and frosty slivers hung from the strands of his hair like icicles. That same Deino Pokéshifter poked her head out from behind his shoulder shyly.

Her anger seemed to evaporate slightly now that she knew she hadn't just led the girl to her death. However, despite seeming to have just blocked a full-frontal attack from that Walrein leviathan, the Glaceon Pokéshifter was smiling genially.

Flandre was first to speak after that. "Where _were _you? I thought you were following right behind us!"

"Oh… I was held up. Nothing important." Piko, however, could guess from his tone that it probably was something _very _important, but he just didn't feel like sharing it.

He turned his face towards the girl who was using his body as a shield. "Hey, it's all right. We aren't going to hurt you," he reassured her softly.

The girl's face was miserable, though she didn't seem to be crying. "I-it's just…" she mouthed, barely audible, "I-I'm useless in a fight. I can't see in my Pokémon form and… when I shift… I'm totally blind…"

_So that's why she refused to shift. That's got to be a real pain in the arse… _Piko realised, recalling the energy surge she always got from shifting into Pokémon form – as if a hidden reservoir of power deep inside her core had diverted freely throughout her body. What was the point of that extra energy if you couldn't see a thing?

"What's your name?" Frinos asked in the same gentle timbre.

"Brooke," the Deino Pokéshifter muttered. "By the way… thank you."

Frinos laughed – a sound which echoed around the sombre atmosphere. "For stepping in to take that last attack? Honestly, it was nothing. I'm an Ice-Type. It didn't hurt… too much."

The sky-haired Pokéshifter drew himself up to his full height, this time locking eyes with Piko. "Hey! You did a good job finding her. Thank you too!"

Piko flinched, but managed to hide it. Praise wasn't exactly something she was used to. Particularly from the mouth of someone she hardly knew…

Alice and Flandre stepped forward to greet the new Pokéshifter, however Naomi turned her head in the opposite direction, as if she didn't care. She did glance once at the Glaceon Pokéshifter, to shoot him an unreadable sidelong stare.

_Huh, that's weird. I thought those two were really good chums. Going off as partners together and everything… _

Perhaps that was part of the reason why Piko didn't like being around others much – they were confusing, and hard to read. Always doing things which made no sense. And very fickle, too – one minute they could be your best buddy, the next plotting your death.

"So, Brooke! D'ya wanna come with us?" Flandre invited. "I bet you'd be a great addition to the- OUCH!"

"You really don't know how to start a conversation well, do you?" Alice groaned. "Forgive my stupid Flygon friend here. If you come with us, Brooke, you'll be safeguarded in among our kind. You'll also get the chance to hit back at your tormentors – the ones who attacked you just now. So what do you say?"

"Other Pokéshifters…?" Brooke whispered contemplatively. "I…I would like to meet others… But you see, there's…" Her tiny voice faded into silence.

"Go on," urged Frinos.

Finally, the girl relented. "I-I have this friend. And she'd… she'd probably go berserk if I ever were to, you know, go missing."

The Glaceon Pokéshifter seemed to mull this over for a while. "Brooke, do you have a phone?"

"Y-yeah."

"Would it be okay if you called her later?"

Brooke shook her head, dark locks rearranging themselves. "Knowing her, she'd only stop worrying if I met up with her again in person. I-I mean… going with you guys… I won't be able to come back here, will I?"

"Probably not," Alice answered.

"Then I'll also need… you know. My things."

"Uh-huh." Flandre shielded her eyes as she gazed towards the shining sphere in the gradually darkening sky. "Looks as if the sun will set soon. We should be getting back, eh? Plus, what if some of Genmi's goons show up under cover of night?"

"You're right, for once, Flandre," her friend, Alice, replied. "We hardly have time to go back to see Brooke's friend. Ideally, we should leave _now._"

Brooke cast her indigo irises to the ground rather submissively, but didn't argue.

"Or," Frinos put in, "we could send someone with Brooke to accompany her to her friend's, then bring her back?"

It was a decent suggestion. The others looked around at one another, as if trying to judge who would be a good candidate for this little mini-mission.

Unintentionally and suddenly, Piko's red and Brooke's indigo irises clashed.

_I suppose I could… Well, I _was_ the one who found her. Although she's probably terrified of me, I guess you could say I'm the one here who knows her the best. I don't know how I'm going to deal with her friend though…_

Still, before she could change her mind, Piko blurted, "I'll take her."

In that instant, all the Pokéshifters in the plaza stared at her. Piko guessed that she was the last person they would have expected to volunteer.

"I'm taking her," she repeated when everyone held their silence. "Do any of you have an objection to that?" She meant her last sentence as a simple query, but it came out as more of a challenge.

"Um, no," replied Frinos, a little apprehensively. "Just… are you sure about this? That way, it'll be dark before you get back."

"I'm sure," Piko decided, striding towards Brooke whilst flashing a partially grim smile at Frinos. "Plus, night's my favourite time."

* * *

Tributes

-Brooke the Deino Pokeshifter created by Luzulu

-Sakura the Zoroark Pokeshifter created by brigitoes


	13. Chapter 13: Panic At The Harbour

**Chapter Thirteen: Panic At The Harbour**

**_IT WAS SIMPLY _****rocking peacefully **on the sedate waves of the harbour, soaking up the sun's radiation from the cloudless sky. The Squad's ticket out of Sinnoh, now barely two hundred metres away.

Flara felt her face stretch into its signature pancake grin as she looked on at the stunning, state-of-the-art beauty.

Being a Fire-Type, she didn't know a whole lot about boats, but she could tell this thing was built for speed just by casting her gaze across its flawless, streamlined curves and the sizeable propellers attached at both flanks, like the turbines of an aeroplane.

_Arceus… We could probably reach Kalos in two hours flat with that thing! _she hypothesised excitedly. _Genmi would really be eating our spray!_

"Don't think so loudly," Luci grumbled from the shadows beside her. "I can hear it through your Aura, and it's giving me a headache."

Flara met the shorter girl's gaze, her grin widening still further. "Would you rather I talked out loud, then?"

"No!" the Lucario Pokéshifter groaned. "Then everyone in the entire region will hear your annoying voice!"

The redhead burst into laughter, but kept the volume down for the sake of the mission they were about to embark on. "Well, anyway, Luci-Lu, let's go do what we came here for." She straightened up against the wall she was leaning on and poked her head out of the darkened backstreet in which they were hiding. "But because _I _was the Pokémon the last time we partnered up, it's only fair for you to be my Lucario this time."

Amber eyes rolled and a reluctant groan issued: "Why? How does that even work? You do realise I'm the far better negotiator here, right? What if you screw something up!?" Luci leant right into Flara's face as she pronounced her last sentence, broadcasting it as loudly as she dared.

"Relax!" Flara advised cheerily, not in the least bit fazed. "I know exactly what I need to do. So come on, change into a Lucario already – it's definitely my turn to be your Trainer!"

Folding her arms and muttering something incoherent (which Flara guessed was probably an insult), Luci's form enveloped itself in indigo light, undulating and re-forming before dissipating. The Lucario emerging from the Aura chrysalis cast an exasperated gaze at Flara.

"Ehehe!" Flara giggled, almost innately, as she pulled down her omnipresent sunglasses to conceal those chestnut eyes. "Let's get this show on the road!"

With that, the two Pokéshifters entered the harbour fully, navigating across the blue-grey cobbles to their target. Flara's eyes narrowed behind her sunglasses as she noticed, through a flicker of movement, the man they would have to negotiate with.

Dressed very much like a typical sailor, complete with a white, buttoned shirt, deep-blue jeans and a blue-and-white necktie, the man had his back to the two girls and seemed to be working busily on the boat's docking ropes, untying and re-lashing them around the iron stump set in the ground. Flara casually approached him as he straightened, smoothing out tousled brown hair.

"Hey, mister!" she called.

As he turned, Flara was mildly surprised to see that the sailor wasn't actually much older than herself – perhaps nineteen.

Recalling what she had to do, the Flareon Pokéshifter launched straight into it, asking, "This boat is headed to Kalos, right?"

The boy hesitated before nodding rapidly. "Y-yeah! It's scheduled to leave today, at noon on the dot. Are you going to be boarding, by any chance?"

Flara beamed. "Hell yeah! Where do we book?"

Flashing a smile, the sailor jerked his thumb up towards the boat's deck. "You'll have to ask my boss, this ship's owner. He should be up there somewhere."

"Alright! Thanks, mate!" Flara cheered before dashing headlong up the ship's gangplank, her trainers hitting the metal steps so hard they wobbled threateningly. Luci loped behind her, struggling to catch up even on her lean, well-developed Lucario legs.

Flara had barely hit the top step when she felt her companion poke urgently at her thigh. "Eh? What is it, Luci?" she inquired.

The Lucario Pokéshifter motioned for her to keep it down, before conveying something in the Pokémon language which Flara was just able to translate as: _"Wait up, something ain't right here."_

"Huh?" Flara murmured in confusion, stopping momentarily as she moved across the deck.

_"__This could be a trap," _she was able to decipher. _"If I read that sailor guy's Aura correctly, this boat could be some sort of stakeout site."_

Flara's eyes widened in understanding. Glancing around, she drank in the sight of the rather luxurious deck and found it quite hard to imagine that Genmi or someone else could be here, silently surveying them and waiting for them to fall for their act, like Yanma into a Victreebel's poisonous maw.

Her eyes locked onto every individual in the vicinity in turn – although they _did _seem utterly like your usual boat passengers – milling about like tourists, gazing fondly over the railings at the town of Sandgem – their last close-up glimpse of the Sinnoh region before heading to Kalos.

Many of them lounged about in deckchairs, which were set around the circumference of a marble-carved fountain spurting from near the centre of the deck. There were as many Pokémon as people – including Flying–Types casually soaring on the sea wind, and Water-Types of all shapes and sizes playing erratically in the fountain.

_It really does seem like your usual tourist-carrying cruise liner. Even Genmi wouldn't be able to pull a stunt this big… or would they?_

"Come on," she urged Luci, continuing onward. "Let's find the ship's boss first before we start gettin' all hyped up, 'kay?"

The Lucario Pokéshifter, however, gave her an incredulous look which said, _"Did you even listen to a letter I just said?"_

Flara, of course, simply ignored her. She had spotted another man dressed in sailor's garb – this one much larger, older and taller than the first. He strode with cool confidence on his hulking feet, and his height was topped by an Emboar who matched his gait as it strode abreast him.

"Hey, sailor guy!" she called again, waving, trying to grab his attention. Dark eyes locked with hers, and the man stopped in his saunter, but stayed deadly silent.

"Can you tell me where the owner of this ship is?" she asked brightly as she skidded to a halt in front of the big sailor. The Emboar gazed at her balefully, but typical Flara hardly noticed.

"The ship's owner…?" the man mused evenly as he casually brought his discus-sized hand around to his back pocket. "That would be me," he uttered, drawing out a metallic object faster than Flara's eyes could follow and aiming it point-blank at the teenager's forehead.

Realising her life was in immediate danger, Flara backpedalled so madly she tripped over Luci and the two crashed onto the deck just as four bullets swiftly fired from the barrel end of the man's pistol, all of them missing.

Flara practically cartwheeled to her feet. "What's up with you!?" she growled indignantly, curling her fingers into fists. "Last time I checked, it was a crime to just randomly shoot at people!"

Her attacker's face remained impassive. "Take a good look around you, Pokéshifter," he suggested, "and reconsider your opinion of whether the law applies in this situation."

Vermillion locks of hair swished left and right wildly as Flara became aware of the passengers – every single pair of eyes was trained on them, human and Pokémon alike – and their gaze was far from friendly. Each face held a triumphant smirk. The frolicking Pokémon had stopped in their play and now adopted fighting stances.

_Luci was completely right, _Flara realised with shock. All _the passengers are with Genmi!_

She met the gaze of the Lucario Pokéshifter herself, who had picked herself up off the plastered wooden boards and was already forming the beginnings of an Aura Sphere within her cupped paws. _"I told you so, idiot," _her glance conveyed, _"so you'd better help me get ourselves out of this, or die trying."_

It was then that Flara felt it – the familiar, invigorating rush of energy she got just before a battle – and it made her grin.

"Heh heh heh! Bring it, big guy. You have no idea who you're messing with!" the Flareon Pokéshifter stated cockily.

The gun-toting Genmi worker wasn't impressed. "I think that statement applies more to you; you're just an ignorant kid. And don't think I haven't had tangles with your kind before now." Holstering his weapon, he gestured to his Pokémon companion. "Emboar, send those two into a deep, long sleep, and make it snappy."

The huge Fire-Type's shawl of flames burned so high, his piglike face was almost obscured in the heat shimmer, and the leviathan beat his massive fists just before he moved with unnatural speed, sweeping the area in a five metre radius with red-hot fire. Flara barely managed to transform in time, letting her thick Flareon fur absorb the Fire Punch to add to the pool of power residing within her body.

_"__Heh! Don'tcha know about Flash Fire ability, doofus?" _she directed at the Emboar insultingly as she somersaulted among the flames. _"Now, eat this!"_

She shot off a supersonic succession of Shadow Balls before slamming the giant using Superpower for good measure. The Pokémon listed to the side, but didn't fall.

Then came a royal-blue blur of movement, crashing into the Emboar's chest with such force he was actually thrown several metres backwards, uprooting deckchairs and crumbling part of the fountain's water feature in the process.

_"__You can never beat a good Aura Sphere, right where it hurts."_

Flara turned to face Luci, who flashed the Flareon Pokéshifter a determined grin, her palms exuding indigo Aura energy.

_ "__Let's do it," _the sleek Lucario announced.

Flara nodded, returning the grin, before the dynamic pair simultaneously leapt into the air. They converged on the winded Emboar as they fell, preparing their strongest attacks – Superpower for Flara and Close Combat for Luci.

The two attacks hit the Emboar right in his chest, knocking him back down from his halfway standing position easily. The deck groaned under the behemoth's weight as he crashed onto it.

Both Pokéshifters landed deftly next to a deckchair roughly three metres from the fountain. They shared a glance, and along with it a triumphant smile.

_"__Well, that's one down." _Luci pivoted to pan her gaze around the crowd – all of whom were glancing at them expectantly.

The tense silence which ensued was broken suddenly when a smooth voice intervened, "Good going, Pokéshifters. But was it good enough?"

Flara turned to meet the dark irises of the burly sailor once again – with his Emboar at his side, looking as hale as ever.

_What?! I thought we knocked that thing into next weekend!_

The Genmi agent shook his head. When he spoke, his tone seemed disappointed. "Did you really think that you'd be able to make it out of Sinnoh before we got to you? Escaping to Kalos, indeed… But that little plot of yours was all in vain. But don't worry; that was destined to happen. After all, Miss Atomica never lets her prey escape."

_He knew about our plan! How in Arceus's name did he figure _that _out?!_

Flara was immediately prevented from thinking any more on the matter as a sickening _crack _was heard – caused by the edge of the Emboar's glowing fist meeting Luci's skull in a well-placed Brick Break. The Lucario Pokéshifter sprayed a few erratic droplets of blood from her mouth before collapsing, her body falling limp.

Innately backing up, Flara felt her own fur quivering, knowing that she was next.

But there was hardly anywhere she could escape from the glowering Emboar – that smouldering gaze filled her sight and mind as razor-sharp rocks honed to a metal-splitting edge revolved around his body.

Then, in the next second, Flara felt the Stone Edge pierce her flank and the pain plunged her into oblivion.

* * *

Indigo eyes snapped from Avia's omnipresent sea-green Pokétch to focus on Hydrus's, and then Leone's. "They've been out there half an hour longer than they said they'd be…" she confirmed worriedly.

Leone's lower lip quivered in an expression similar to a pout. "Well, I wouldn't be surprised, considering Flara's half of the team, but still… I'd trust her with anything _except _food." She gave out one of her signature sighs. "Give it another five minutes and then we'll send someone to investigate."

Whilst the other six Pokéshifters bantered and talked, Hydrus found himself on the outskirts of the huddle, simply observing the area through his orange eyes. Conversations for Hydrus were possibly the most awkward things – it often seemed, in his eyes, like an excuse for others to be judgemental of him. Silently sighing, the Swampert Pokéshifter turned away from his companions and gazed instead at the bulletin board nailed to the wooden wall of the cabin-like building, situated just adjacent to Sandgem Town's harbour. The board showed a list of passenger boats coming and going, stating their times of arrival and departure, as well as their destinations in neatly arranged columns. The only boat there which was suitable for the group was headed to Kalos's Cyllage City on the dot at noon – just over fifteen minutes from now. An engineered speedboat, it seemed guaranteed to get them to Kalos in less than two days. The perfect getaway boat.

_Cyllage City, huh? _Hydrus had never heard of the place before.

He'd been born in Unova and had spent time in Hoenn and Sinnoh, but hadn't so much as set foot anywhere in Kalos. It seemed amazing to think that he'd already travelled so much, but there were still so many places in this vast world he had yet to discover.

"Hey, big guy." The familiar voice came just from Hydrus's left, breaking him out of his thoughts. Avia smiled up at him, her dark blue eyes shimmering brightly like sunbeams bouncing off deep water. "So, what's up?"

"Er…" He had never known how to answer that question: _what's up_. What exactly _was _up? The sky? Clouds? A flock of Staravia?

Avia giggled at his silence. "Yeah. S'pose I'm being a little nosy. They're your thoughts, after all." She turned the same way Hydrus was looking. "Well, anyway, what do you think of them?"

"Huh?" Hydrus replied, confused.

"Our new… acquaintances," Avia clarified falteringly. Obviously the word "friends" couldn't exactly apply to their new companions yet, not when they had only met them the day before yesterday. A friendship was something which ran truly deep, like the relationship between Hydrus, Avia and Jubilee.

"I… I'm not really sure," Hydrus answered, which was true – to him, they weren't much more than strangers, and he knew very little about them. "What about you?"

"Leone is annoying," Avia grumbled. "Always thinking she's the boss of everything. And what's up with this plan of hers? I know we need to remain discreet and all that, but bloody hell, we're all boarding this boat. Why can't we just get on the damn thing together, instead of sending Luci and Flara to sort it all out beforehand?" She glanced furiously at her Pokétch, scowling as she noticed the digital readout.

"You're worried about them?" Hydrus put in questioningly.

The Wartortle Pokéshifter gave a small smile. "Yeah… I kind of like Flara. Flara's great. She's like me, only more of an idiot." She laughed jokingly. "But, yeah! Even though they're pretty weird, I think we've landed ourselves with some great people. Eh, Hydrus?"

Hydrus didn't answer, again not quite knowing what to say. What could he really say about the other Pokéshifters? He couldn't remember half of their names.

"Wait… there's something going on up there! Do you see the dust cloud coming from that ship?!" came a sudden outcry from one of the Pokéshifters – Hydrus couldn't tell which one.

The two Water-Types whipped around, Avia yelling, "You mean _our _ship – the one Flara and Luci were sent to?!"

"Uh-huh!" affirmed the blue-haired, crimson-eyed girl Hydrus remembered as the second Lucario Pokéshifter. "We're all going over there right now!"

The Pokéshifters quickly formed a stampeding river which flowed along the cobbled harbour at breakneck speed. Boats of all colours and shapes blurred past as Hydrus tried to keep up, but he inevitably lagged slightly behind.

_Well, Swampert's Speed stat was never really the best… _Hydrus mused grudgingly. He supposed that that was one of the perks of being a Pokéshifter, though – that you could easily excuse your poor running performance by blaming your spirit Pokémon's low Speed stat.

Townspeople veered out of the course of the sprinting seven-strong group, but even so some managed to get in the way. Hydrus crashed headlong into one himself, the force of his collision causing them to fly through the air for a few seconds before landing painfully on the cobbles.

"Oh, Arceus, I'm so sorry!" Hydrus garbled as he hurriedly picked himself up, brushing off his jacket and jeans.

When he cast his eyes over the person's face, his heart almost stopped.

Familiarity sparked in those boundless turquoise orbs – and even though those deep-blue, flowing locks were wilder and longer, they were still recognisable. Hydrus gazed upon a face he was sure he hadn't seen in years – and, for that matter, didn't think he would ever see again.

As she straightened up, Hydrus could see the girl was now rather tall – in fact, she wasn't that much shorter than the Swampert Pokéshifter himself. Her cobalt hair reached beyond her waist, with indigo streaking the tips; and her scarf, of a similar hue, was tied so it fell down her back – just the way he remembered it. The cerulean-dyed T-shirt was new, along with the sea-green denim shorts and blue laced boots, but he definitely recognised the homemade bracelets strewn across both of her forearms, from the elbow right down to the wrist. The bracelets themselves were comprised of the treasures of the sea – glistening seaweed, colourful corals, assorted shells, gleaming pearls and even sparkling gems; perhaps once belonging to Pokémon or to nature, but were now the girl's own treasures, worn on her forearms.

Hydrus put a name to the girl's face instantly.

_M-Makara?! _he mentally gasped in a disbelieving splutter.

_N-no way, it can't be her! _he thought frantically, his conscious mind denying what he was seeing, but unable to comprehend how it was even possible. _She… she died… Back in Hoenn, she _died! _Even though it looks exactly like her… could this girl be a… a doppelganger or something?_

The supposed Makara simply smiled. "Think nothing of it – I was the one who crashed into you! Ha-ha! Well, anyway, I'd best be going. Maybe we'll meet again!" And with that, she was off, melting spontaneously into the crowd.

Hydrus momentarily forgot what he was even supposed to be doing at that moment in time – as the only thought his mind could coherently process was: _What in Arceus's name just happened?!_

* * *

Akari just avoided stumbling on the haphazard cobbles as she managed to keep the pace with the rest of the group. The Togetic Pokéshifter was a nippy runner and her small build made her an expert at dodging crowds – a talent which had helped her escape violent situations many times. Casting chocolate-coloured eyes over the group, she felt that sudden pang in her stomach which told her something was wrong. A second later, it hit her: one of the group was clearly missing.

Her pupils hopped rapidly from Pokéshifter to Pokéshifter – Leone, Somber, Sphaera, Avia, and Jubilee were all accounted for – leaving, of course, Flara and Luci, and…

"Hydrus!" she yelped in realisation. "We've lost Hydrus!"

Leone was the only one close enough to hear her wispy voice, but it was enough. "Guys!" the Torterra Pokéshifter shouted, "Hydrus has gone AWOL!"

Immediately, Avia and Jubilee halted in their tracks. Akari knew just from observation that they were Hydrus's closest friends, and his seemingly constant companions – she hadn't, from the moment they had first met, seen any of that Water-Type trio separate from each other.

The very notion of being apart seemed to terrify them – they glanced around wildly for their lost teammate, but to no avail – the crowd was too thick in places to even see the harbour.

"Let us look for him, Leone!" Jubilee requested with a smile. "We'll get right back to ya – I promise!"

"Alright," Leone grumbled reluctantly. "Just this once. Meet us on the ship!"

After Avia and Jubilee broke off, the remaining four Pokéshifters swerved towards the ocean side, rattling up the gangplank of the speedboat they planned to ride to Kalos. Akari, dashing just behind Leone, heard the familiar sounds of a battle above – the cries of Pokémon, the small explosions of attacks impacting.

_What's going on up there? _the blonde-haired Pokéshifter wondered. _And if… if it is Genmi, then why're they doing this out in the open, in broad daylight, at a harbour where everyone can see?_

Well, they were about to find out.

Akari's arms flopped at her sides in fatigue as her trainers hit the deck, panting from her non-stop sprint. Leone blocked the sight in front of Akari, but she clearly didn't like what she saw, as her body was stiffened, tense, with her hands clenched into tight fists. As Somber and Sphaera joined them, they, including Akari, moved so they stood side-by-side with Leone – ready to launch themselves into the fray.

But the Togetic Pokéshifter couldn't stop herself from gasping as she noticed the sheer scale of their enemy. The ship's deck was teeming with Pokémon and people of all kinds – however, despite the casual clothes along with the "I Heart Sinnoh" memorabilia, Akari could tell these people weren't your typical tourists. There was something about them which screamed _Genmi, _even without their signature dark grey fatigues; probably the thirty-or-so sinister glares directed their way.

Akari could feel her brain buzzing. _But if it_ is_ them… why are they even here!? It's like they planned for it – like they _knew_ we were planning to flee to Kalos!_

In the centre of the deck was a wide clearing, featuring a marble fountain, just next to which stood a mountainous Emboar and a hulking man almost as big as the Pokémon – who was clearly its Trainer. Akari found it hard to make out from a distance, but she was positive she could see two smaller figures slung over the man's shoulders. One of them had striking, fiery-red hair.

_Flara…_

"U-um… Leone…?" she began, as if asking for permission to speak.

The older girl didn't answer – simply balling her fists ever tighter and gritting her teeth.

"We need to help-"

"I know!" she snapped. "Don't talk to m-"

"They've got Luci and Flara!" Sphaera interrupted, yelping. "Wh-what's happening?! Is it Genmi?!"

"Most likely," Leone growled. "But that's not what's important here – they've hopelessly outnumbered us. Even us four fighting in unison together wouldn't be enough. And…" She involuntarily shivered. "I really don't like the look of that Emboar. I knew I should've never let Avia and Jubilee go to search for Hydrus… In a situation like this, we could really use their help."

Akari innately looked down, knowing there was nothing _she _could do in this bleak situation. She could only guess how this situation could unfold – but there was going to be a fight somehow or other. And Akari really wasn't cut out for harming others in any way, which included fighting. In fact, she'd rather not get involved in a battle at all.

A ripple travelled through the crowd suddenly, and, sensing it, Akari looked up. Genmi's disguised operatives were parting, leaving a wide corridor which the burly man and his Emboar promptly strode down. Upon reaching halfway to the Pokéshifters, where they could clearly see him, he dumped Luci on the deck as if she were a bin bag and grasped Flara's hair, holding the unconscious girl aloft as he cocked his gun and rested it against her temple. "One false move, Pokéshifters," he boomed, "and I'll blow this girl's brains out for you all to see. Don't think I won't. One Flareon Pokéshifter is nothing to me. Even a Lucario, like this one" - he kicked Luci hard in the ribs - "has a little more value. But they're both going to die, and you right along with them, unless you agree to follow our conditions _to the letter._" His finger twitched at the trigger of his weapon impatiently.

Akari could feel the anger radiating from Leone. "Genmi, you… how did you even… how'd you even know… we'd be here?" The Torterra Pokéshifter was so worked up, she was finding it hard to form words.

The bulky man spat derisively. "Don't think we haven't been watching your every move, listening to your every conversation. Genmi has spies everywhere." He met Leone's grass-green gaze. "Don't know who to trust? I should think so. Who knows, one of your own so-called _friends _could have tipped us off. After all, you don't know some of them all that well, do you?"

_He's right. In fact, the only one Leone probably truly trusts is Flara… even Luci and I haven't known her all that long…_

So Akari almost yelped when Leone yelled, "So you're trying to turn us against each other, huh? Well, that's the lowest trick in the book, so there's no way I'm falling for it!" She stepped forward defiantly, her body surrounding itself with a glowing green corona – the beginnings of her Pokémon transformation.

"N-no! Leone, don't!" Flinging herself forward, Akari grasped Leone's arm at the elbow. Jade eyes locked onto hers furiously, but the Togetic Pokéshifter gripped her limb and bit her lip. "You can't fight them. They'll kill Flara!"

She felt Leone's arm slacken, but then the Torterra Pokéshifter took one look at the face of the man threatening her friends and lost it.

She shrugged Akari off forcefully, and the girl's slight body was thrown into a heaped pile of rigging, bruising her lower body. Wincing, she caught Somber and Sphaera share a glance before transforming themselves, then leaping into battle…

The Emboar Trainer's gaze hardened in that moment, and he brought his trigger finger back to fire –

Yet in that same millisecond, three jets of water shot from the surrounding ocean, all three hitting either the marksman or his companion Pokémon.

Like a mighty tower crumbling, the gargantuan Fire-Type seemed to fall in slow-motion on top of his master as two simultaneous Hydro Pumps hit him in the gut. The human was pinned down by his Pokémon's weight, instantly dropping his gun and the Pokéshifter he hadn't quite managed to kill.

Three figures landed in front of the defeated duo, and Akari got a sudden wave of déjà-vu as she caught sight of their faces.

"Avia!"

"Jubilee!"

"And Hydrus!"

"You need water? Well, you got it…"

"The Watershifter Trio, at your service!"

Leone gazed on at the trio of Water-Types unamusedly. "Okay, you three. That's the last time you're making a stupid entrance like that, particularly if you were late to the scene in the first place!"

Avia pouted. "You fun-sucker, Leone! We were only trying to brighten up the situation a little!"

"And bad situations are always in need of brightening!" Jubilee agreed happily.

Akari was pretty sure Leone would have face-palmed in that instant if it hadn't been for the fact that they were surrounded by several dozen angry underlings of Genmi. "Well, I'll thank you three later, but at least our odds are slightly better now. Let's go!"

And in that instant, the six Pokéshifters completed their metamorphosis and the entire deck transformed into utter pandemonium, Akari finding herself right in the middle of it.

Utterly unsure of what to do, Akari simply sat there for an entire minute, watching the fight erupt around her, until an enemy Purugly got simply too close to comfort.

Yelping, the slight girl shifted rapidly, fluttering on her Togetic wings out of the range of Purugly's claws. Taking a deep breath and concentrating, she surrounded herself with a Safeguard bubble, letting the catlike Pokémon's furious Fury Swipes bounce off the barrier before fleeing.

Hovering over the battlefield, she knew her best bet would be to lend some assistance to her friends right now, so she panned her dark eyes across the deck, searching for anyone who needed it. Healing injuries, in particular, was what she excelled at.

She picked out Somber and Sphaera, fighting back to back. Utterly surrounded, the Lucario Pokéshifter tried to deflect the oncoming attacks with Force Palm, but the Raticate she was pitted against managed to bite through her defences. Hyper Fang drew blood from her forearm, causing her to grunt and falter in pain. Somber immediately rushed to his friend's attacker; he was a rapid dark blur of an Umbreon as he hit them hard with Return. But meanwhile, Sphaera's face was screwed up in agony.

Akari knew her Safeguard wouldn't last, so she made it quick – swooping down and quickly brushing her arm against the gash. The Lucario's arm glowed golden from the energy of the Recover before sealing. As Akari took to the skies again, Sphaera called up a _"Thanks, Akari!" _happily before resuming the fight.

And that put a smile on the Togetic Pokéshifter's own face.

The fight continued for what, to Akari, seemed like an age. She spent most of it flying above the fight itself, but did dive in often, whether it was to protect Leone from Infernape's Flare Blitz using Safeguard or to assist the Watershifter Trio with a Magical Leaf here or there. But she was never directly involved for very long.

Still, once it had ended, she was so exhausted her wings gave out on her and she simply dropped. She shifted before she hit the ground.

"Urrgh," she groaned, her fingers sliding across the deck uselessly as she tried to summon the energy to stand up. "C-c-can't… move…"

"Yo, Togetic! Need a hand?"

Akari lifted her head a fraction for her vision to be filled with the bright, cheerful mismatched eyes of the Ludicolo Pokéshifter known as Jubilee.

Reaching up, she grasped the proffered hand and stood up with the other girl's support. The midday sun glinted off Jubilee's grinning teeth. "You okay there?"

"Y-yeah! Thanks," she answered, returning the smile.

Akari had decided she liked Jubilee. She always had a positive outlook on pretty much everything, and even in the worst situations, she never seemed to quit smiling. Just being around that type of person made the young Pokéshifter feel good.

Taking a moment to peer around the ship's deck, Akari likened the aftermath of the battle to a hurricane's scale of destruction. Deckchairs were flipped, crushed and sometimes even burnt to ashes. The fountain was now little more than a smouldering stack of marble half-submerged in trickling water and the deck itself was pockmarked with several charred holes – as if a bunch of Diglett had burrowed right through the ship's hull. The few enemy Pokémon and humans who hadn't fled yet were stumbling as fast as they could towards the broken railings before launching themselves over them in retreat.

Leone stood at the port side of the ship, silently staring at the azure horizon. Apart from looking battered and exhausted, with her camouflage jacket partially singed, she looked well, which was more than could be said for Sphaera – who was currently out cold, being bandaged up by Somber using the contents of a first-aid kit he had found on board.

The Torterra Pokéshifter turned away from the railings, exhaling quietly. "We really could've done without that, but, oh well. Shit happens, as they say."

"You're hair's on fire," Avia interjected.

It was, indeed – and the sight of that tiny residual flame busily sizzling amongst Leone's curls was so comical, especially with the teen's utterly nonplussed expression, that Akari giggled out loud.

"Wh-what?! This isn't some idiotic practical joke, now is it?" Leone demanded.

"Nope!" Avia replied, laughing. "Allow me."

Swiftly transforming into Wartortle, she blasted Leone in the face with Water Gun faster than the average speed of an Aqua Jet-racing Golduck.

"Oi, that was completely uncalled for!" she gasped in annoyance, her face dripping with moisture.

"What, would you rather that it burnt your curly head off?"

"Shut up and stop being such an annoying git, Wartortle!"

Smiling at the banter, Akari tried to forget the trauma of what had just happened. Though it was true no-one could ever stay negative around these people – somehow, they were always full of good humour. Especially Flara and Luci.

_Come to think, _Akari thought as a sudden notion hit her, _they were unconscious _before_ the battle! They'll be in need of urgent treatment._

She dashed along the deck, slaloming round gaping holes and leapfrogging deckchairs until she reached the place she last saw them – where that muscular Genmi agent had placed a gun barrel to Flara's head and threatened to shoot. Of the agent himself and his Emboar there was no sign, but that was hardly surprising – it was likely they had upped and ran off like the others. But there was no trace of Pokéshifter, either – just a few ugly bloodstains splattering the wood of the deck.

Akari immediately ran back to her friends to deliver her bad news. "Flara and Luci are… th-they're gone," she stammered.

She could barely meet Leone's eyes. They were brimming with the guilt and sorrow of dawning realisation – that she and the other Pokéshifters had just made a terrible mistake.

A sudden cacophony of voices blasted around Akari, so loudly she covered her ears and winced.

"Luci? Flara? Oh yeah! The ones who were here before!"

"They almost died, didn't they? And now they've disappeared…"

"Did something happen to them during the fight?"

"…Shut up, you lot." Leone.

Akari watched the girl closely. Her face was tight.

"Make yourselves useful and raise the gangplank. Go on," she ordered somewhat robotically.

That statement shocked everyone into silence. Even Somber looked up from tying Sphaera's gossamer sling.

"But, Leone-" began Avia.

"No "buts"!" she rumbled. "Go on and do it! I don't care who! Just do it!"

Hydrus and Jubilee obliged, rapidly dashing to the ship's stern.

Meanwhile, the Torterra Pokéshifter turned her face away from the others, rendering her expression unreadable.

"We need to get out of here as quickly as we can. I've been stupid, staying here for so long… Genmi could be just around the corner, as they clearly know exactly where we are. And I'd be very surprised if the local police haven't already got wind of this." Running a hand through her chocolate curls, she walked sedately towards the ship's glass-and-Perspex tower, located just behind the demolished fountain. The glass had been cracked somewhat from the battle, but the two-storey structure was still standing, along with the balcony and hopefully everything inside or below it.

"Hey! Where're you going?" Avia yelled.

"To find the control room," Leone answered without looking back. "I hope someone here has experience with reading maps and ocean charts, as this thing isn't going to sail itself to Kalos." And with that as an end-note, the Torterra Pokéshifter disappeared inside the automatic doors, which hesitated slightly before yielding for her.

Avia's cobalt eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "Seriously?! Her friends go missing and all she can think about is getting this bloody ship to Kalos? That girl needs to reprioritise!" She _harrumphed, _folding her arms indignantly. "Friends are the most important things you could ever have in your _life! _What is she thinking? Doesn't she even _care?!_ It's too bad I have to help her out now, because unlike _her, I_ know how to use a ship's computer!" Outburst over, she stormed off, tailing Leone.

Akari innately sank to the floor, overwhelmed. Somber continued bandaging his unconscious partner in silence, leaving the Togetic Pokéshifter in thought.

_It's probably not that Leone doesn't care about losing her friends. It's probably… probably because she's lost all hope, so she's given up doing anything about it. She lost Haku and Frinos before, and now this…_

_It must seem like her friends are all disappearing from her one by one._

* * *

Not so far away from the Pokéshifters' speedboat, out in the distant bay streaking the horizon, the sparkling sapphire water was kicked up in a flurry as a Pokémon loped effortlessly across the surface. This Pokémon, a legendary Suicune, had a magnificent purple mane which billowed in the northern wind, deep purple eyes framed by a crystalline crown and a deep cobalt coat speckled with violet spots.

Suicune are sighted extremely rarely in Sinnoh, and what made this one even more of rarity was the fact a human girl was riding peacefully on its back, gazing up at the clouds through her deep turquoise eyes.

This girl's name was Makara.

Makara revolved expertly whilst balancing on the Suicune's back so she was now sitting rather than lying on the Pokémon. "Kuuklide?" she muttered.

The Suicune responded, turning his head slightly as he ran to meet the girl's gaze.

"I didn't tell you this, but I met someone I knew… in Sandgem today…" She trailed off.

Kuuklide let out a soft growl, which Makara managed to interpret as _"Go on."_

"It was Hydrus. You know, that Mudkip Pokéshifter I told you about once…"

_"__I remember," _came the translated reply. _"You hadn't seen him in years, right?"_

"Yeah! He was… well, _older, _but it was definitely him," Makara admitted, laughing. "I never expected him to be in Sinnoh, of all places."

Kuuklide didn't answer, leaving the duo to travel in silence for a few minutes longer before Makara casually asked, "So, where to?"

The Pokémon whined, making the vague noise of "Coon", meaning _"I've got no preferences. Where do you want to go?"_

"Ha ha! So I'm captain?" Makara grinned, returning to her previous position and resuming her cloud-gazing. Closing her eyes serenely, she uttered, "Well… Kalos sure sounds nice."


	14. Chapter 14: Familiar Flaws

**Chapter Fourteen: Familiar Flaws**

**_THE FIRST THING _****that registered **within Luci's mind as it rebooted was the pain.

She could almost hear every individual neurone protesting in agony, the resulting cacophony causing her skull to throb. Or perhaps that was due to the splitting migraine which was so intense it was difficult to concentrate on anything else, despite the fact her entire body ached; her feet, legs, arms, hands, abdomen, torso, neck – but the pains in her head were by far the worst. She would've figured that a pickaxe had been embedded right through the top of her cranium; only she was still alive to feel the pain.

Trying her best to ignore the throbbing, Luci attempted to open her eyes. Only one yielded; the other's lids were stubbornly adhered together, as if by Superglue. She blinked congealed sweat and blood out of her left eye before panning the amber iris around the room, her hazy vision slowly clearing.

At first sight, there wasn't much to see. The walls appeared to be coloured stark black, and the only illumination came from a small halogen strip light directly overhead. What Luci _could _see could only be described as macabre. On the opposite wall, something silvery glinted in the light which could only be the links of an iron chain dangling down from the recesses of the ceiling. To Luci's left was what was presumably a solid steel door; extremely sturdy-looking with no obvious gaps or openings. To the Pokéshifter's right was an even more frightening instalment. It looked to be a metal frame attached to the wall, complete with what looked like restraints surrounding the neck, torso, wrist and ankle areas. Multicoloured wires emanated from the frame and spread out across the room into each shadowy corner.

_We're in a torture chamber, _she realised with horror.

_We…!? …Wait a second, _was her next revelation, _where's that idiot of a Flareon Pokéshifter?!_

She whirled around, noting the _clink _sound her body made as it struggled. It didn't take her long to discover that both her hands were tethered to the wall behind her at roughly head-height, her wrists encased in manacles linked to dangling chains similar to those on the opposite wall.

Her eyes caught Flara in the strip lighting underneath those same chains, her figure becoming clearer as Luci's eyesight adjusted.

There was only one word to describe how the Flareon Pokéshifter looked in that instant: a mess. Her hair, although usually wild, was matted with so much blood and dirt the natural crimson colour could hardly be seen underneath. Her face was obscured behind her dangling fringe and slackened head. Her hands were fettered in the same way as Luci's, and her clothes were ripped to shreds, exposing bruised and bloodied flesh beneath.

And Luci knew her own condition was probably similar.

"Fl-Flara." Her voice came out as a strained croak, and even she could barely distinguish the words. "C-can you hear me?"

In response, the Pokéshifter opposite emitted a loud snore-like sound, accompanied by a smacking of the lips.

Luci would've brought her hand up to her face had they not been both handcuffed. _Well, at least she's alive, _she thought as she gritted her teeth.

"Flara. Flara! Wake up, you… you pile of Darumaka droppings!" Her voice was still hoarse, but became more pronounced with every word, and this time Flara at least appeared to hear it.

"Mmm, yeah, Leone?" she mumbled detachedly, her face now visible but her eyes still remained closed in a sleepy stupor. "I'm sorry I poured curry all over your face… really! It was just a joke. Ha… ha. It's funny… right?" She grinned elastically. "The look on your face… hilarious…"

_Oh, Arceus. Great. It's just my luck to be stuck in a torture chamber with someone who sleeptalks. _Luci's facial features formed a grimace as she listened to her companion spout more gibberish, her speech gaining less sense with every word.

"Shut up! I'm not Leone, okay?" she growled, unable to stand it any longer.

"Huh?" Flara's eyes snapped open, exposing deep pools of chestnut-brown. "Oh, hey there, Luci! Nice day today, isn't it?" she giggled.

Luci sighed, somewhat relieved. _Well, she still seems to be herself, alright…_ "Flara, you've got to promise me from now on that you'll stop eating whatever kind of Berry you were always chowing on back in Eterna. I don't think it's doing much good to your mental health."

"Sitrus Berries cause mental health problems?! Are you serious, Luci?" Flara garbled, her expression horrified.

"No. Do I have to explain to you how to spot a joke when you hear one?" the Lucario Pokéshifter grumbled.

"Er… nope," Flara answered hesitantly, her own eyes now scouring the room. "Where are we?" For once, she looked genuinely worried.

"I'm not sure, but…" Luci began, her memory slowly resurfacing. "We were fighting Emboar. We were beaten to a pulp by Genmi…"

"Oh, yeah!" the redhead interjected. "Genmi hijacked our ship!"

"Congrats, you remembered something for once," Luci commented, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Anyway, we're probably at their headquarters right now. Which means that the first chance we get, we're busting out of here."

"Sounds fun!" Flara beamed.

Luci returned the smile. After all, she was from her own brand of adrenaline junkie, and this particular area was something she excelled in. Call her an escape artist – this wasn't the first time she'd been captured by Genmi, but she wasn't going to let it be the first time she didn't wiggle out of their grasp moments after capture.

"Yep. You've got it. All we need is a plan."

"Don't worry yourself, Luci! "Escape Artistry" is Flara Rayong's middle name! In fact, I've already figured something out which could work."

"Oh." Luci was mildly surprised. "Oh really? Do tell."

Flara was oblivious to the incredulous tone in Luci's voice. "Well, you see, I think everything in this room could be a projection."

"A… projection…?" The Lucario Pokéshifter blinked at the other, now utterly confused. _Holy Arceus, that girl never ceases to surprise me. Always going for the unexpected… what in Houndoom is she thinking?_

"Yeah! Like, you know, a virtual reality. Maybe we're hooked up to computers right now, and _that's _how they've imprisoned us. Maybe they've tricked us into thinking this place is real, and there's no escape from it, when actually…" She paused dramatically. "The only way out is to convince yourself it isn't real."

At first, Luci was convinced Flara was joking, but her face remained utterly sincere. And then, she hit on a likely conclusion.

"You… you watch _way_ too many sci-fi films."

"No way! Think about it, Luci, it _could _be true!" Flara protested.

Luci never found the time to answer that, as in that moment the allegedly virtual door slid open noiselessly but for a smooth hydraulic hiss. Framed in the portal were three figures, to the left, right and centre. The two flankers were unmistakably Genmi subordinates, clad in dark grey with that iconic purple "G" at their lapels. The man in the centre, however, stood out like a Ho-oh's feathers, mainly due to his fashion sense.

Luci found she could hardly look at him. The colours he wore comprised of mostly bright red and pink, so gaudy and loud it had the potential to cause blindness; in fact, Luci felt her migraine amplify with every second she gazed at his get-up. Everything he wore, from his pale pink boater hat to his matching magenta-rouge blazer and slacks was creaseless, spotless and pristine in its quality. Around his collar was secured a bright pink bowtie striped with scarlet, a carbon copy of the one tied around his boater.

Fixing the two of them with crimson eyes, the man blew a lock of pinkish hair out from his face. He then spoke in a heavily accented voice, very different from the Sinnoh dialect, though his drawl was still easily comprehensible.

"Guards, cuff them and bring them along. Though… treat them with care. They already look as if they've been through the wars." He flashed a smile, though it was far from friendly and had a sly quality to it. "Also… we wouldn't want to harm Madame Axalar's guests of honour, would we?"

* * *

It took Haku mere picoseconds to piece together the jigsaw of the mystery before him; however Maddy, gathering from the utterly perplexed and gobsmacked expression on her face, was not so swift on the uptake.

_There's no time to explain to her right now, _Haku decided. _So, she may question what I am about to do, though hopefully she will understand later._

Without so much as a faltering moment, Haku shot an Ice Beam in one fluid arc, hitting the Zoroark Pokéshifter in the chest. The girl's face immediately slackened as she crashed to the ground, the ice spreading across her skin rapidly from the point of impact like water rippling over a still pool. In seconds, she was encased in an icy exoskeleton which would serve as a temporary cryogenic chamber.

_I'm sorry… friend. But I'm not yet sure if I can trust you, at least, not until some loose ends are tied up._

Before Maddy even had time to gasp, Haku was dashing towards the Hypno's human Trainer. He unleashed Psycho Cut, the attack slicing the very air before rending the human's clothes. Blood splattered the grass as she collapsed, unconscious.

Haku withdrew, his breath labouring. He'd never been in the best shape, seeing as he didn't exercise much – and even battling regularly was something new for him. So it often came as a surprise to him how rapidly and fluidly he moved in his Pokémon form – it wasn't something he could ever achieve as a fourteen-year-old human.

_Still… at least it's over. For now._

"H-haku!" Maddy yelped, seeming to have finally found her voice. "What… what are you _doing!?_"

Maddy's words affected Haku no more than a light breeze would. He shifted easily, though stumbled slightly upon standing up. He checked first the bodies of the Hypno, then the Genmi subordinate, for any signs of faked unconsciousness before even turning his violet irises onto Maddy.

"Make a fire for the night," was all he uttered.

"What-" Maddy began, incredulous.

"You heard. Considering we've got no sleeping bags or blankets, it'll get pretty cold out here once we settle down to sleep. Also, some light to see by would be nice."

"What… you just… you…" the Latias Pokéshifter muttered heavily, her face taking on a look of rage.

"I'll explain later," Haku replied evenly.

Suddenly, his companion burst into outrage, exuding all the pent-up anger she had sealed inside. "What's that supposed to mean, huh? You're going to leave me in the dark again, ain't ya? That's all you ever say; "Ooh, I'll explain it all later", but you never do. You and your bloody mind tricks. All you ever do is confuse me, lead me on, and then laugh at my ignorance. Like now. You just _froze _someone out of the blue, which, the way I see it, was completely unnecessary. The poor kid was in _tears _before you attacked her – and I'm still not sure why, but perhaps because she came out of the trance Genmi had put under her and realised what she had been doing was wrong. But I don't know! You're the brainiac here!"

Haku's face remained impassive, but for a twitch of one silvery eyebrow. "You managed to deduce that much? That's fairly impressive for one of your intellect, Maddison Khaze."

Maddy actually snarled. "And now you're mocking me! Figures, huh? Well, not everyone can be as smart as you are, _Mister Fucking Wise Guy._ Some friend you are! What's the point of a friend who never explains _why _he does things, constantly keeps you in the dark, and turns against people who don't deserve it? I know that girl was attacking you before, but just look at her now. Like I said, she was probably being brainwashed, and didn't mean it. And then… then you just… act like it's all nothing! I'm done here, Haku. I'm just done."

The Latias Pokéshifter's signature brown-blonde ponytail swished angrily as the girl herself stormed off, disappearing into the trees beyond the clearing.

_Great stuff, Haku Kurosawa, _the Absol Pokéshifter mused silently as he watched Maddy leave. _Sometimes your mouth is just as big as your brain._

He sighed, deeply yet softly, crouching down near the centre of the grove. The Zoroark Pokéshifter's rigid, frozen body lay there, her eyes gazing sightlessly upwards at the constellations above.

_Maybe what I did… was a little extreme. However, in the moment, I just wasn't sure if I could trust her or not. This girl… she's been tailing me for a while, hasn't she…_

Haku hoped he'd be able to get some answers from her once she woke up. But until then…

Using his vestiges of strength left over, Haku hauled the limp forms of the Hypno and its Trainer as far as he dared into the wilderness, dumping them next to a small, starlit stream. To further disorientate them, he placed their bodies facing in an eastwards direction, from which a small plateau much like the one Maddy had landed in could be seen. Haku didn't like having to rely mostly on chance for this particular scheme to work, but it was fairly likely to help throw the duo off their scent.

Hoothoot cawed down from the branches as the Pokéshifter made his way back to the clearing, intent on his next mission.

Amethystine eyes panned the ground for any suitable-looking sticks. Spotting two, he picked them up and began to furiously rub them together. He'd always lit fires in the past using matches, but he figured it wouldn't be too hard to succeed without them. He knew the physics behind the process, anyway: rub two sticks together with enough friction to generate thermal energy, thus resulting in a flame.

Roughly twenty minutes later, the twigs Haku held both had shiny, smoothed edges from the constant rubbing, but not a spark of fire.

_Ugh. If Flara were here, she'd make this whole process look like a joke._

Shaking his head, he then thought: _No. I promised myself I'd forget about them. Flara, Frinos, Leone, and all the others… they're gone. There's no point thinking about them now._

Mourning, to Haku, had always seemed like a meaningless thing. He'd heard of lives being utterly decimated by their reactions to the deaths of loved ones, and Haku was determined not to let that sort of emotion get in his way.

_I have… a duty. Being one of the last of the Pokéshifter Squad, I must carry out our dream to the end._

_Our dream to unite all Pokéshifters and change the bleak world we live in to one in which our kin are not merely society's dropouts. To see Genmi Incorporated disbanded, and send the message to the people and Pokémon of the world that things must change._

Even so, Haku sometimes wondered if vehement displays of emotion were such a bad thing. He referred back to what Maddy had said: _"And then… then you just… act like it's all nothing!" _Was she mad at him for acting so nonchalant and emotionless after the fight? Did she think that… Haku didn't care if anyone got hurt?

_Maybe it does seem that way to other people, _the Absol Pokéshifter mused. _Sometimes._

For not the first time since the flight from Eterna, Haku wondered if he should just go ahead and tell her about the vision he'd had.

_I _could _explain it all to her… but would she really believe me now, after that little shenanigan? Also, even if she _did _believe me, there's no point in making her freak out over something which is only probable. Most of my visions do turn out to be prophetic, but there have been a few that I've never noticed occurring in reality._

And then: _I hope that last disaster dream was one of the latter._

The teenage Pokéshifter was so deep in his thoughts that he barely noticed the sharp, crisp _crack _piece the air, a sound similar to a sledgehammer being driven through the frigid shell of a frozen pond.

When he did, he whirled around, his eyes immediately hovering over the incapacitated form of the Zoroark Pokéshifter.

_She's thawing out already? I didn't expect it this soon…_

The small chasm which had opened in the icy layer widened, spreading outwards until it became a Spider Web of eggshell cracks. The girl's limbs convulsed suddenly beneath the ice, smashing through and breaking free, and soon the rest of her body followed suit, tumbling from her chilly prison.

The young Pokéshifter gasped, drawing in her first breath of oxygen in almost half an hour. Moonlit ice shards cascaded down her waist-length, ebony-hued hair, maroon streaks in the locks standing out strikingly. Her skinny yet lanky body was swathed in a heavy black trench coat, in the folds of which water was pooling from the rapidly melting ice. The rest of her attire was also black – consisting of jeans, fingerless gloves and large combat boots. Her left forearm was encased in four chrome bands, and her skin seemed even paler than Haku's in the dim light.

She sat there, unmoving, simply breathing softly, until her eyes snapped open. The whites were almost as red as her irises, and Haku noticed the frozen trails of tears stopping halfway down her cheeks.

In that instant, the Absol Pokéshifter felt an intense pang of guilt. _Maddy was right. She's just a lost, confused girl, and didn't deserve what was coming to her._

Still, Haku knew that, as a Pokéshifter, you could never be too safe. Being cautious not to make any sudden movements, he stood up and warily approached the girl, his shoes on the grass barely making a rustle.

But even so, the Zoroark Pokéshifter sensed his presence and whipped around, dark red eyes clashing with Haku's own deep violets. Yelping loudly, the girl shot to her feet and staggered hastily backwards, only to keel over onto her bum. She averted her gaze from Haku's, fresh tears welling up in them.

The Absol Pokéshifter wondered which way would be best to approach this girl. What he _wanted _to do was to simply get straight to the point and start questioning her, but as he had discovered, many people didn't respond well to that.

So he started off with a soothing "Hey. I'm not going to hurt you."

_That sounded horrible, _Haku groaned internally. _Why did I leave Mr People-Skills back in Eterna City again?_

He realised at that point how much he had taken all of his friends' skills and attributes for granted; Flara's fire-starting and endless humour; Frinos's seemingly undying cheer and knack of picking others up when they were down; Leone's unwavering confidence, loyalty and caring attitude. Even though he never got the chance to know them properly, Haku found himself missing Luci and Akari, too.

The Pokéshifter was brought out from his thinking zone by the Zoroark girl once again. She seemed to unfurl a little at the sound of Haku's words, edging towards him apprehensively. However, she still refused to meet his eyes.

"H-Haku," she mumbled in a voice lighter than summer breeze, pronouncing the name as if it were of a long-lost friend. "I-I don't mind… y-you can p-punish me for what I did. I-I'm sorry… Truly sorry! I-I never meant to hurt you, H-Haku!"

"I know," the said Pokéshifter responded, crouching down to her level. "You were under the influence of Hypnosis. Now, do you remember any events prior to-"

Suddenly, the girl flung herself forward, latching onto him around the waist and burying her face in the fabric of his jacket at the shoulder. Haku, in a rare moment, made his shock visible by stumbling backwards, causing the Dark-Type duo to revolve in a messy roly-poly before collapsing in a heap.

_Arceus… the girl doesn't know her own strength…_

The other Pokéshifter was now directly on top of him, her eyes now finally meeting his own. They seemed even more bloodshot than before.

"Oh, Haku…" she whispered. "You're not mad at me… a-are you?"

"No," Haku breathed as he disentangled himself from the girl, feeling a whole lot more awkward than furious.

_Holy bloody Arceus. If my deduction is correct about this girl… then everything about her body language points to… no, that doesn't even bear thinking about…_

All it took was one glance at her face, where her cheeks were coated in a light blush, to confirm it.

_Oh. Oh, Houndour, no._

Still, he hardly wanted to make the situation more awkward, so he decided to ignore it for now. "…Anyway, Sakura," he began smoothly. "If that's your name?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"What do you remember, Sakura?"

She suddenly looked apprehensive again, and glanced around wildly as if she'd find the answer to that question hidden among the trees circling the moonlit grove. "I – it's – I'm – uh… w-what do you mean, exactly?" Sakura's face was pasted in panic.

Haku sighed softly. "Since you were Hypnotised. What do you remember?"

A look of understanding dawned on the girl's features before becoming thoughtful. "Uh… I remember… fragments. I-I remember our fight… and creating an illusion to t-trick you back in E-Eterna Forest. Th-though… I-I didn't mean to! I-I promise!"

_I knew it. I knew there was something Magikarpish going on that night in Eterna, _Haku mused, satisfied somewhat that his theory had been proven. He had been subject to illusions from a Zoroark before, and since that experience, he knew how to tell if what your optic nerve told your cranium was true. The telltale sign of an illusionary projection is the shimmer at the edges of your vision; not unlike a heat haze. _The question is: was she somehow involved in the capture of me and Maddy by those two maniacs, Sed and Wookbrom?_

If she said yes, that would prove those two had a direct link with Genmi. Haku had never bought their whole "Golden Skarmory" lark from the beginning, and their behaviour around himself and Maddy was definitely suspicious. Out of paranoia, he had conducted a manual bug sweep on himself and the Latias Pokéshifter during the flight, but he had come up empty. Still, Haku couldn't get those two and the potential danger they posed out of his head.

_And if they _are_ connected to Genmi… that could mean very, very bad news for Maddy and me…_

Haku was about to pose his question to Sakura, but was cut off, as it happened, by a harsh yell which reverberated through the forest.

However, what pulled at Haku's heartstrings in that sound was the unmistakeable familiarity of it.

_Maddy…_

He was suddenly almost overcome by a strange, yet recognisable feeling – he'd had this emotion boiling in his bloodstream before, not so long ago, in fact. He'd felt the same after the disaster dream which heralded the Eterna forest fire and Frinos's capture - it was the _desire _to rush to another's aid, and it was an odd mixture of fear, desperation, anxiety and excitement.

He knew immediately what he had to do, and allowed the adrenalin to pump his legs forward. He grasped Sakura's hand and pulled her along before she even had time to yelp, "Huh?!"

"We'll return to this conversation at a later date. But you'll have to come with me now, Sakura!"

That was the last sentence he spoke out of his human mouth before his metamorphosis added an extra burst of speed to his sprint, allowing him to rocket down the slope with Sakura loping a few paces behind him in her Zoroark form.

_This time, _Haku promised himself, _No matter what Maddy's facing… I won't fail._

* * *

Rage filled every cell of Atomica Genmi's being, even after that emotional energy had been transferred to every individual item in her office. Needless to say, the room almost exactly resembled a town which a rampaging Gyrados had passed through – as in, it was utterly demolished.

A detached computer monitor lay in one corner, having been catapulted from the overturned desk. Cracks webbed its screen. Multicoloured shards once belonging to individual objects decimated by Atomica's wrath littered the carpeted floor along with the strewn, torn remnants of posters and the pages of books ripped right from their covers. Literally nothing was spared from her fury – not even the priceless relic of a supposedly magical terracotta figurine (closely resembling the Pokémon Baltoy) recovered from an ancient ruin in Hoenn.

In the centre of all the destruction was the woman herself, crouching on her hands and knees, her breath ragged, her eyes wild. You could practically see the anger emanating from her skin.

At that point, a rather apprehensive tapping sounded from the other side of the office's heavily locked door, accompanied by the muffled voice of Jonah: "M-Miss Atomica? Are you in there?"

Atomica was tempted to ignore her subordinate; it was likely he was only delivering more bad news. And, if that was the case, it would be all the better for his physical and mental health if he simply stayed on the opposite side of the door.

Still, she could hardly deny that however small, there was still a chance that the information Jonah heralded was beneficial. And curiosity had always been Atomica's weakness. She _always _had to know exactly what was going on, always had to unravel the mystery; being kept in the dark was not an option.

Sweeping some stray raven locks out of her face, Atomica stood, swiping her finger on the DNA scanner to open the internal lock. The portal swung inwards, revealing the hapless Genmi worker. As Jonah's brownish eyes swept over her face, he took on a shocked expression.

_I can only imagine what I must look like after that last outburst, _she mused, picturing her hair bedraggled and her make-up smudged. She was beginning to regret having smashed the expensive gilded mirror which used to hang on the south wall of her spacious office.

"Stop gawking and disclose your news already," Atomica growled, her anger still bubbling beneath the surface despite her not being in Full Rage Mode anymore.

Jonah gulped – as even he was smart enough to deduce when Atomica was in a bad mood – and began hurriedly, "I-I came to inform you that the search party you sent out c-came back… e-empty-handed. They say they encountered a horde of Pokéshifters in Eterna City who were simply too much for them. Oh, and…" His face was sheepish. "Xerno, from his post at Sandgem Town, has reported that the Pokéshifters he was tailing managed to escape, though…" Jonah paused for a moment to analyse how his employer was taking the news. Her face remained set in a grim, frowning, yet eerily calm expression. Her fingers twitched somewhat impatiently, as if she were having the urge to strangle the man in front of her.

He almost squeaked out his next sentence. "Though he says two of the Pokéshifters were successfully captured, sedated and transported to the Genmi Kalos Headquarters," he garbled breathlessly.

Atomica blinked, a little relieved that at least _something _good had come out of the current situation, and all thoughts urging her to punch this irritating pawn through the wall behind him petered out for the moment. Of course, she would have rather taken custody of the captured Pokéshifters herself, but given the current state of the Sinnoh Headquarters' Pokéshifter-holding cells, she could understand Xerno's actions.

"S-should I send a written report of the current situation to Mistress Axalar?" Jonah continued.

"No," Atomica answered immediately. The last thing that she wanted right now was her mother knowing the details of her cock-up. Of course, Axalar Genmi, being the head of the organisation, would find out eventually, but at least she could suspend that inevitable outcome until she had dragged herself out of this mess and was ready to receive her mother's wrath.

"But Axalar Genmi-" Jonah began.

"-is in Kalos, and what she doesn't know won't hurt her. Besides, she'll find out anyway, won't she?" Atomica uttered, dismissing any further argument.

The woman of authority returned her thoughts to the two imprisoned Pokéshifters at the Kalos HQ. She dearly hoped that snake of an Ekans Pokéshifter was among them. _That disgustingly ungrateful traitor would deserve nothing less than coming face-to-face with Axalar Genmi herself. _Though it would also be rather satisfying to have Jean meet that same sticky end, as she had played her own part in the loss of the eighty-three Pokéshifters previously contained within this very building.

Atomica was brought back into her current surroundings as she noticed Jonah biting his lip awkwardly, and averting his gaze from her intense maroon beams. She then realised something – this was the first time she'd ever remembered seeing Jonah without his utter twat of a colleague, Olys, hanging around him. In fact, the two acted so idiotically together she'd mentally dubbed them the "Twat Twins". They were so cowardly they could hardly go anywhere without the other accompanying them, so what was so important that was keeping Olys from tagging along with his comrade to report to the terrifying Atomica Genmi?

She was suddenly suspicious. "Where's that imbecilic friend of yours? I swear you never go anywhere without him."

"O-Oh!" Jonah spluttered, trying and failing to conceal his apprehension. "He's – he's – speaking to your mother at this very moment!"

Right then, Atomica's temper spontaneously resurfaced, and, roaring a roar worthy of an Entei propelled the unfortunate subordinate into the wall with a forceful punch to the gut. The metal wall dented under the impact of the man who slid to the floor, dazed.

"What a twat," Atomica spat as she strode briskly in the direction of the communications room, where Olys would likely be. _Well, if it needs to happen now, I'd best get it over and done with._

She rapidly punched in the code before ramming the door open with such vehement force it almost swung right off its hinges.

Her burgundy irises panned around the room, glaring at everything she saw. The room was relatively sizeable, ringed by a bank of computers and other electronic communicative equipment. In the centre was a raised table formed in the shape of Genmi Incorporated's logo – a purple capital letter G, surrounded by indigo swivel chairs. On the far wall was a large screen which directly connected to all the computers in the room; typically used for enlarging images caught from cameras in the field (as the room also doubled up as a surveillance office).

It was almost after-hours, so the communications room was empty but for Olys. He jerked around awkwardly in his swivel chair as he heard his boss burst in, jumping startledly.

"O-oh!" he garbled in much the same tone as Jonah. "A call came through from your m-mother, Miss Atomica." He shakily gestured towards the computer screen before him. "She… she's already heard about your… our… that… um, event…"

She could easily tell that hadn't been what he'd intended to say, and she barely had the willpower to stop herself from releasing her Porygon-Z from its Poké Ball and ordering it to obliterate the useless man into dust.

"I see," Atomica snarled. "I should've known. You have spies everywhere, don't you, Mum?"

"Mum…?" Due to the high sound quality, that proud, aloof voice of authority boomed through the computer's speakers with such clarity Atomica was almost convinced that the woman herself was standing and speaking within this very room. "Atomica, I have told you countless times; no child of mine must refer to me in such an informal manner. I would have been given a DoubleSlap by my own mother had she heard me use such terminology."

"Um… I think you two should talk up on the big screen," interjected Olys, rapidly tapping his keyboard. The said screen flickered to life, instantly displaying a 3-D rendered, high-definition image of Axalar Genmi. He simultaneously activated the webcam above it, so the head of the organisation had a clear, bird's eye view of the com office at her end.

Atomica stepped towards the screen as she spoke. "Fine, _Mother. _I see you haven't changed one bit."

Axalar's mouth twitched in what could've been interpreted as a smile. "And if my own mother had heard me speaking to her in that manner, she would have spanked me," she commented dryly.

The junior Genmi found herself gritting her teeth. _Yep, definitely no change whatsoever. _It had been years since Atomica had last seen her mother in person, but not even the slightest detail in her appearance had changed. For all her forty-six years of age, hardly a wrinkle defined Axalar's sharp features, and her complacent expression mirrored that of the portrait previously kept on Atomica's desk (which, of course, had been timely smashed to pieces). Her hair was beginning to grey in some places, but still kept its signature white, purple-streaked hue throughout. She was even wearing the same apparel Atomica had seen her last in: a deep-purple blazer with lilac trim, a creaseless, spotless collared shirt, a diamond-studded enamel-white belt threaded through long violet trousers with three rhombus-shaped holes running along the outsides of her shins. She sat on a desk chair with her legs crossed, one foot twirling a semicircle lazily in the air, exposing a burgundy, high-heeled boot above the desk line. The allele for Atomica's own unnatural eye colour was reflected back at her through Axalar's intense gaze.

Even Axalar's own daughter shivered when fixed with those eyes. If you knew her well enough, you could always see her true personality projected in those calculating maroon irises, no matter how she acted. There was a ruthlessness, a callousness in them; an almost boundless superiority complex which caused her to look down on all others as inferior specimens. When Axalar Genmi looked directly at someone, she was analysing them down to their very core to see if they could be of any use to her. And, once she had completed her judgement… you would know of the result pretty soon.

"Yes… Mother. I presume you called simply to lecture me, correct?" Atomica answered, trying hard to keep the insolence out of her voice.

Axalar made a sound close to a laugh. "Oh no, you ignorant child. Although it is true that the loss of eighty-three perfectly good Pokéshifters is appalling, they are replaceable, and I am sure you can… re-catch them all." She chuckled at her own pun. "And if not, your own loving mother can provide you with the people and Pokémon necessary to do so."

"I don't need your help," Atomica replied stubbornly. "And if it's not about that, what did you contact me for?"

Axalar spread her hands in an almost welcoming gesture. "Well, help's always there if you need it. Don't say I never made the offer. In any case, I digress. If you want to know why I called, I'm afraid you'll have to tell your adjutant to leave the room."

"Olys," Atomica ordered simply, "Leave."

Genmi's lackey knew better than to even answer. He simply got up and did as he was told, not looking back once into the room even as the door thudded shut behind him.

As soon as the soundproofed portal was sealed, Axalar continued with her explanation. "I called to inform you that I am considering summoning you to Kalos."

It didn't take long for Atomica to pick up on a possible motive. "Why? You think I can't handle Sinnoh, don't you?"

"Don't be so assumptive, Atomica," chastised Axalar. "That has nothing to do with it. The truth is that I may need you."

_Oh, really? That would be a first, _the junior Genmi mentally snorted. She was convinced her mother was joking until Axalar came out with her explanation.

"Since I've arrived in Kalos, I've hardly been a Slaking. I've read up on local legends and even done some research of my own to back it up. I've formulated a back-up plan just in case we ever encounter significant resistance, though currently everything is going just the way I pictured it. Still, in this world, one can never be too safe." She leaned in close to the screen at that point, her eyes piercing the silicon like lasers. "I won't disclose the details until you are actually in Kalos, but I will tell you this now: my plan requires a Dark-Type Pokéshifter with a hefty amount of power for it to work."

Atomica frowned, wondering what she meant by that exactly, but at least she knew now how she came into this plan. _Still… why me…?_

"Don't you have any other Dark-Type Pokéshifter you could use?"

Even whilst Atomica talked, Axalar smiled. "I figured you might ask that. In any case, no, at least, not at the moment. You see, this particular Dark-Type's power… has to exceed the limit required, or else their life energy will be sucked into the void, and they will perish along with it. And that wouldn't be good for anyone, now would it? In short, what I'm saying to you, Atomica, is that _you _are the only Dark-Type Pokéshifter I can be truly confident in the power of. I am sure you would survive the ordeal."

"And if I don't, you're basically sacrificing me," retorted Atomica. "Some mother you are!"

Axalar tutted. "Now, Atomica, what have I told you about respecting your elders, hmm?" She shook her head. "If you weren't my own daughter, you would have died ten times over for your insolence, so please, count yourself lucky." She sighed before continuing. "Anyway, speaking of Pokéshifters… your tongue hasn't slipped regarding that little secret of ours, ever, has it?"

"Well, _no it hasn't, _Mother," Atomica replied with the exasperation of one who had been asked the same question simply too many times. "I can keep my mouth shut for more than a minute, than you very much." She shot a glare her mother's way. "To be honest, I think I should be more worried about _you _blabbing."

Genmi's CEO seemed to find this hilarious – she actually burst out laughing at that point. "My, my, Atomica. Perhaps I still _would_ keep you around if you weren't my own daughter – you can be rather humorous at times. In any case, I don't see why you should distrust someone who you share a secret with. There are absolutely no merits to me giving away our secret. I am, after all, a Pokéshifter as well."

"Yes, and at least that's something I know about you that others don't," Atomica muttered as she made to leave the room. She sensed the conversation was nearing its end, which was just as well, as she was getting tired of hearing her mother's voice.

Axalar promptly cackled at that. "Believe me when I say this, Atomica: No one truly knows me. That is because everyone who has ever got too close for comfort has died as a result. I know it's hard for you to accept, but there are some things even you don't know about me. Anyway, I have an outstanding appointment, so I suppose this is goodbye for now, daughter of mine. Await your summons to Kalos."

And then, seemingly just to assure she got the last word in before her daughter could retort, Axalar aborted the conversation, cutting the screen to static.

Atomica made a growling not unlike an Arcanine's as she stormed out, her anger bubbling once again, manifesting as the unquenchable urge to destroy something. _I'll show that old hag, _she thought bitterly. _Her secrets won't stay secrets for long. I'll eventually know all about her. And when she dies, I'll rule it all. Her organisation, her secrets, the world, everything… Everything will be mine._


	15. Chapter 15: Divide And Conquer

**Chapter Fifteen: Divide And Conquer**

**_AN OPAQUELY FATHOMLESS _****ocean glittered **the sapphire hue of a Kyogre's colossal fin; a beautiful sight under the early afternoon sun. However, Leone Demetrio, Torterra Pokéshifter, simply hung over the ship's railings, gazing at her distorted reflection in the rapidly-rippling water without acknowledging it.

They were making good speed in their stolen speedboat – with its propellers whirring and prow slicing through the saltwater's surface, a dark streak was already visible on the horizon which was, according to Avia, the region of Kalos. They were scheduled to reach the shoreline in less than an hour.

Although the prospect of reaching Kalos seemed like the perfect chance to leave all the horrors of Sinnoh behind and begin anew, Leone could not muster the endorphins needed to feel happy about it. Because, whatever she tried to think about, it always came back to one thing, one thought she just simply couldn't prevent from playing a neural loop in her head.

_I am the last Pokéshifter of the Squad._

Frinos and Haku had disappeared; most likely perishing in the same flames which had disintegrated half of Eterna Forest into charcoal. Then, whilst she was still grieving for the loss of the Glaceon and Absol Pokéshifters, Luci and Flara had vanished without a trace after being knocked unconscious by that Genmi thug and his leviathan of an Emboar.

If they weren't already dead, they were probably being tortured right at this very instant, and would die soon anyway. Genmi would use them for their horrific experiments. Leone had witnessed first-hand the effects of the trials conducted in their laboratories when she had infiltrated their Battle Zone branch. She still had reoccurring nightmares of the sights she'd seen there.

But that was only part of the reason why the Torterra Pokéshifter detested Genmi Incorporated to the utter core. They were responsible for the deaths of all her immediate family members – the cause of all her pain and loss in life. Her family hadn't deserved it – none of them were Pokéshifters – and Leone would have turned herself in for them any day. Unfortunately, Genmi hadn't given her that choice.

Leone dropped her hand innately down the neck of her dark-green leaf-patterned shirt, her fingers closing around the medallion which hung suspended parallel to her heart. The medallion didn't look like much to the naked eye. It was simply a disc of gilded metal inlaid with a pale golden Miracle Seed. But it meant as much to Leone as her life itself. A birthday present from her late brother Wynter, it was: the symbol of a legacy, of a promise.

_"__It can be your lucky amulet! You know, like a good-luck charm? Anyway, I thought it'd be great for your Pokémon form, too. The Miracle Seed will power up your Grass-Type moves to no end. Just don't forget your own dashing older brother made it painstakingly with his own hands, alright?"_

"Wynter…" Leone mouthed, grasping the medallion as tightly as she could without crushing it. "I will avenge you."

"Hey, Leone!" emanated a voice from behind the Torterra Pokéshifter. "Just tellin' you that we'll arrive at Cyllage City, our final destination, in about half an hour! I've put the ship on autopilot, so rest assured we won't crash into any cliffs." Avia chuckled at the end of her last sentence.

It wasn't so much the laughter at the end but the actual _sound _of that voice which irked Leone. "Just please go away," she grunted.

"Hey!" Avia protested, moving into the older girl's field of vision. "That was uncalled for!" But as she leant against the rails beside her, Leone noticed the Wartortle Pokéshifter's features were no longer angry, mocking or anything of the like; in fact, they expressed sympathy. "Look, Leone," she continued, her tone becoming gentler. "I'm… sorry for that outburst. I… I was just so angry… I didn't understand… Your friends… I…" Avia followed the exact angle of Leone's gaze to the swirling depths below. "I just… wish that all of us could somehow… survive through this together. We're a team, y'know? And if anyone gets in a rough spot, aren't we supposed to help them out of it, no matter what we have to do? That's what was running through my head at the time when I had my whole "friends" rant. That's why I just felt so furious… that you would even consider abandoning your friends." Avia's indigo irises met the grass-greens of Leone. "I've been thinking about it, and I know now that you were right. Although, back in Sandgem, the trail was still fresh, we would've probably ended up with more trouble than gain if we had sent out a search party to look for 'em. Your method is not how we, the Watershifter Trio, operate, but I understand your reasoning nonetheless."

Leone guessed that Avia's words were meant to be apologetic and sympathetic, but they didn't make her feel any better. Right now, her outlook on the world was dark and bleak. She doubted if anything could console her or twist her facial features into a smile, let alone a laugh.

She allowed a full minute to expire for answering. "Just please go away," she repeated, only this time calmer and more sadly.

For a millisecond, Avia's defiant features told Leone she wanted to argue back, however she turned away briskly and sauntered off, muttering a loud "Fine" as her sandals thudded on the deck.

Leone returned to gazing sightlessly at the water, letting out one of her signature exasperated sighs.

Her mind continued to wander through her own personal misery, trying to ignore the yelps of laughter and animated conversation from behind her. Jubilee, Sphaera, Somber and Akari were lounging on deckchairs, playing some sort of game – Truth or Dare, Spin the Bottle, Arceus knows – but whatever it was, they were finding it hilarious. Meanwhile, Hydrus was occupied in his own world, pacing about the deck ceaselessly, a slack expression on his face, dreaming of a dimension only known to him.

Leone, however, was finding it hard to remain oblivious. She wanted nothing more than to yell at the giggling gaggle to shut up, only she just couldn't seem to muster the energy or motivation.

Suddenly feeling a bout of paranoia, Leone wondered if she had conducted her search thoroughly enough. Immediately after they had set sail, she had ordered a hunt for any supplies or stowaways on the ships. The group had together discovered enough food and water to last a month, several weapons (mostly firearms, but even a few antique swords and katanas were uncovered), and several miles of rigging; but no other living organisms whatsoever but for a tiny Spinarak in the kitchen cupboard.

_I've gotta admit, Genmi really do think of every detail when they execute a plan. This ship was pretty elaborately furnished for something they were going to use simply as a decoy._

However, that niggling feeling was still being felt in the pit of Leone's stomach. It had been a long, tough battle, but it seemed odd that Genmi would simply surrender so easily after seizing only two Pokéshifters. Also, there was still the mystery of how Genmi had clocked they were heading to Kalos at that exact date, place and time. The only explanation Leone could come up with was that one of their agents in the field had somehow got a hold of that information and relayed it to their bosses. The culprit? Well, it could've been anyone whom they had passed on their way here from Floaroma, anyone who had managed to sneak an ear into their plans.

_Perhaps someone had bugged our room in the Pokemon Centre? Oh, the possibilities are endless…_

What bothered Leone the most was the notion that their informer could still be_ right on this very ship._

_What if… _Leone actually gasped as the next thought hit her. It wasn't a thought she wanted to think about, and yet… she couldn't ignore this hypothesis. What would happen otherwise was too horrific to even contemplate.

_A spy from within. A Pokéshifter. That would be the perfect method for our undoing…_

Leone pivoted on her feet abruptly, casting a suspicious glance over every Pokéshifter in the vicinity. But the Pokéshifter she immediately suspected the _most _was in fact holed up in the control room, tinkering with the ship's autopilot like the brainiac she was. Leone was willing to half-admit it was partially because of her own personal grudge against Avia, however she did have concrete reasons for being suspicious. Avia was clearly the brains of her own misfit band, the Watershifter Trio – she'd demonstrated that by hacking into and flawlessly controlling the ship's onboard computer without excreting so much as a sweat-drop. Not only that, but she appeared to act like _she _was in fact the leader of their merry group, despite being the youngest out of all of its members – constantly arguing with Leone, declaring her opinions on various matters at every other hour, and even sometimes trying to openly boss the others around. Although she was the likeliest suspect, this raised a whole mountain of other issues. If Avia was their mole, then what of her two friends, Hydrus and Jubilee? Could they be her partners in crime? Not to mention the mysterious duo of Somber and Sphaera, showing up out of nowhere during the Eterna forest fire. And what of unassuming Akari? Could she be concealing a dastardly secret under her sweet-natured smile? Haku had suspected her from the start. And why shouldn't Leone trust Haku's initiative? He was by far the smartest person she had ever met, had saved her life and others countless times, and Leone, without the merest shred of doubt, would trust Haku unto her day of death. Even if he may be already dead and gone himself.

The realisation smacked into her like a stampede of Bouffalant. _I don't trust any of the people around me. None of them. When I lost Flara and Luci… I wasn't just losing two great friends, or two great Pokéshifters. I was losing the last two people I ever truly trusted in the world…_

Suddenly, Leone felt a quashing sensation, as if she were drowning. She was two kilometres beneath the deck in that moment, the pressurised, frigid water closing in on her, crushing her lungs; the bubbles of her last exhale hissing upwards towards the faraway surface, whispering secrets among themselves which Leone couldn't quite catch as her senses were fading, fading…

"NO! STOP IT!"

Leone didn't know how it had happened, but somehow a clump of matted curly hair now lay in each of her hands. Two circles of scalp around her temple burned with pain, and, reaching a hand up, she discovered the flesh was exposed, tender, and wet. Each of her companions was staring at her in utterly shocked, collective silence.

Her breathing was laboured, and her skin felt hot and clammy to the touch. _How did I… how did I get like… like this? _she wondered feverishly.

The Torterra Pokéshifter very nearly lost entire control over her body. She very nearly collapsed to the deck, weeping until she fell unconscious. But that same girl, with a will and body as tough as a tree, stayed standing. She casually tossed her ripped-out wads of hair over the rails, her face morphing into a calm, nonchalant expression as she did so.

"It's okay, guys. Sorry for scaring you. I just… I just had… a bad daydream. A flashback… Yeah, that was it."

Leone knew she didn't sound entirely convincing, but the others seemed to buy it. They nodded sympathetically before returning to their game as if nothing moderately exciting had happened.

However, the same effect was not applied to Hydrus. The Swampert Pokéshifter's bright-orange gaze was fixed on Leone. She couldn't tell what the boy was thinking, but it was obvious he had clocked that she was deliberately hiding something.

Leone felt utterly uncomfortable under that gaze, and so turned back to her original position, gazing out at the azure horizon. She let out another sigh, even longer than her previous one. _Leone, what's gotten into you? Freaking out like that… it'll never get you anywhere. _Although she tried to take the advice of that internal voice, she found that paranoid feeling that there could well be a spy among their ranks had not subsided. Quite the opposite – it seemed to intensify with every passing moment.

_But Genmi work by dividing and conquering. For us Pokéshifters to become suspicious of and lose trust in each other… That's exactly what they want, isn't it? Don't'cha get it yet, Leone? Solidarity. That's the key to beating them, _came the voice again.

_True, _Leone agreed. _It's just that…_

The Pokéshifter was suddenly brought out of her spacey trance by a sudden, chirpy, _cheep cheep _sound.

A tiny birdlike Pokémon perched calmly on the railings mere inches from her nose, fixing her with beady, glittering black eyes. Its rounded head was an autumnal russet colour, whilst the rest of its plumage but for its tail was coloured a pale grey. The little bird's tail was as sharp and defined as an arrowhead, a stark black hue with an angular white stripe.

The petite Pokémon _cheeped _again, far too quickly for Leone to grasp beak or tail of what it was trying to communicate. It cocked its head curiously at her once before taking flight, flapping into the air at a surprisingly fast speed for such a tiny Pokémon.

Leone blinked. She knew she wasn't the world's foremost expert on Pokémon, but she'd _never _seen anything like that little guy in her life before.

Glancing over her shoulder, Leone noticed the shore was zooming up to meet them at an unbelievably fast speed. She could already make out beaches, sandbars, and cliffs along the coast, as well as outcroppings of boulders and individual copses of tropical palm trees. A mere kilometre from their current position, a large city or town was visible, hazy buildings arranged along the shore and winding upwards from there to the cliffs in the distance.

_So this is… Kalos…_

It was then that Leone noticed that more of those tiny Flying-Types had abruptly spawned – in fact, they were swarming through the air above and around the ship, in such a thick horde Leone could barely see any other colour aside from russet red, grey and black. The flock spiralled upwards, aiming for the cloudless sky overhead, scattering brightly-coloured feathers as they did so.

Of course, a sight like this didn't go unnoticed by the ship's other passengers.

"Wow!" A marvelling gasp from Akari.

"These guys must be our welcoming committee to Kalos!" cheered Sphaera, grinning hugely.

It was at this point that Avia, the nautical know-it-all, decided to re-emerge from the control room and join the party on deck. "Guys! We're officially in Kalosian waters!" she announced excitedly. "As soon as we touch the shores of Cyllage City, we'll be there!"

Everybody except Leone met this news with a holler of agreement. This signalled a chance for a fresh new start in a new region, a chance to be free from the fear of Genmi and to push the past far behind them. However, the Torterra Pokéshifter just simply wasn't in the mood to celebrate.

Avia glanced up, noticing the skyward swarm. She waved at the departing Pokémon, chuckling. "Hahaha! Those guys are Fletchling. Natives to Kalos!" She winked. "And if you guys are wondering how I know all that, I read it in an encyclopaedia of bird Pokémon."

"Fletchling, huh…" Suddenly, Leone's anxiety and misery evaporated in a blast of excitement. _A new region… an entirely new region filled with Pokémon you can't see anywhere else…_

That thought excited Leone to no end. So much so, her mouth innately formed the first genuine smile she'd had in hours.

She pounded across the deck, joining her fellow Pokéshifter companions who had gathered on the far side of the ship to watch the Kalosian shoreline becoming ever clearer and closer.

"Whoo-hoo!" Jubilee yelled happily. "_Beinvenue à Kalos, tout le monde! _That means "Welcome to Kalos, everybody!" in Kalosian! …I think…"

* * *

"She _still _hasn't come back," reported Naomi, with impatience in her voice and doubt etched on her face. "Fucking Houndoom Pokéshifter."

Frinos could barely make out the Ekans Pokéshifter's features in the isolated circle of moonlight beaming through the gap in the forest canopy, save for the girl's luminous golden irises. But it was Naomi all right. Naomi, with her speciality laser-eye glares, one of which she was currently drilling sidelong into Frinos's own gaze at that moment.

_Looks like she still hasn't exactly forgiven me, then._

The Glaceon Pokéshifter had been meaning to apologise for that little incident in Eterna; however, there had been the small issue of Naomi acting as though he didn't exist. Every time Frinos had attempted to communicate with her, he ran into an iron wall – or rather, a wall of venomous stares, which were the only means Naomi now used to acknowledge him.

Supressing a sigh, Frinos answered, "You do know you sound as though you've got a grudge against every Houndoom Pokéshifter in the universe, right?"

Frinos was doubtful that Naomi would actually reply, so he was mildly surprised when she grunted, "I only have a grudge against _that _particular Houndoom Pokéshifter, moron."

He was prepared to simply laugh that last insult off, but of course, Asuka interjected for her friend's sake, blowing a loud raspberry at Frinos's offender. "What gives you the right to just go around insulting people, _Snakey? _Hah! You don't like it when I do it, so you shouldn't do it yourself!" the Espeon Pokéshifter retorted.

Naomi's snakelike eyes narrowed. "I don't recall ever asking _your _opinion on the matter."

It was only then that Jean, Genesect Pokéshifter and peer-proclaimed leader of the band of fugitive Pokéshifters liberated from Genmi, spoke. "Enough," she boomed. Her voice was laced with a strict sense of authority and a rather threatening undertone, so naturally whatever she spoke was heard by all those around her. "Break it up. This is not the time for childish bickering."

She regarded each of the Pokéshifters before her in turn with those mysterious gold-brown eyes which concealed more than they showed.

Frinos, Asuka, and Naomi. All three had been sent out on a scouting mission shortly after their return from their assignment in Eterna (much to their dismay, as they were all ridiculously tired and hungry), to search for any signs of Piko, or the Dieno Pokéshifter she was escorting, Brooke. The two Pokeshifters' return to the camp was long overdue – it had already been several hours past the promised time.

The silence ensued for at least a minute. Each Pokéshifter, including the usually optimistic and easygoing Frinos, was quieted by their own anxiety.

Piko had still not returned. And she, from what Frinos knew, was not a Pokéshifter who'd be likely to miss deadlines. The Glaceon Pokéshifter could easily tell what the general suspicion was: that Piko, and quite possibly Brooke as well, had been recaptured by Genmi en route to the camp.

Jean suddenly raised her hand, as though asking for silence, although that had already been granted. "There's only one option to resolve this current situation. The camp is almost fully packed and ready to leave, albeit without Piko and her charge, the Dieno Pokéshifter. But…" She paused for a second, seemingly for effect. "We are Pokéshifters. Are we not?" She once again panned her irises across the trio, as if waiting for a certain reaction from them. "We stand together. And we won't be leaving until every Pokéshifter is accounted for. That includes the two currently in the field."

She waited for any objections. None came, unless a glare of contempt from Naomi counted.

"Frinos." The said Pokéshifter almost jumped upon hearing his own name. "You are to scout the area from here to Eterna once again, this time stretching the parameters to the city itself. Meanwhile…" Jean switched her gaze to the other two. "Naomi and Asuka, you can continue helping with the camp's final preparations."

Asuka was first to interject. "Awh!" she complained in a toddler's whine. "Why do I have to be stuck here with Miss Snakeface Meaniepants doing boring jobs? Why can't I scout the forest again too?"

The Genesect Pokéshifter gazed at her evenly. "Because Frinos will be much faster on his own. It is dangerous to be scouting alone at this hour, but time is of the essence, and Frinos is the fastest Pokéshifter I've ever known."

Frinos felt himself blushing, and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling somewhat flattered. "Ehe… thanks, Jean."

Naomi, emitting a hiss of annoyance, began striding haughtily away. "Whatever you say, _Your Majesty_," she spat.

The insult bounced off Jean like light hitting a mirror as she looked on, unperturbed. "Don't forget your rations," she called to the departing Naomi, and the disgruntled Asuka who was following shortly behind. "Urso is currently distributing them."

Frinos blinked. "Rations?" he questioned.

"Yes," Jean replied, already moving off into the shadows. The meeting had seemingly already closed. "Urso, the Ursaring Pokéshifter, has them." And then she had dissolved into the surrounding moonlit forest without another word of explanation.

Frinos sighed heavily. _Oh well… I guess I'd better find this Urso, and then get to it._

He practically slid down the grassy slope to catch up to Asuka. "Hey there, Espeon!"

She smiled upon noticing him. "Same to you, Iceboy."

They both shared a chuckle at that, before Frinos decided he had to cut the conversation short. "Well, guess I've got some scouting to do."

The Espeon Pokéshifter pouted. However, when she spoke, her tone was nonchalant. "Have fun, I guess. If you need me, I'll be lugging lumber with Snakeface!" She dashed off towards the throng at the centre of camp at that point, waving as she did so. "And don't worry!" Asuka called in farewell, "If Snakeface insults you again, I'll sock her into next week!"

Frinos swerved in the opposite direction, grinning to himself for a few seconds before his jaw slackened into a serious expression. Asuka was an ever-cheery, childish and charming girl – so much like Flara, it was ridiculous. But sometimes she got _too _hyped up about certain things – such as this whole business with Naomi. _Will that girl ever come round? _he wondered. _I hope so…_

The camp was on the move – Pokéshifters dashed around Frinos in every direction, circulating in a rapid tornado of bodies. They were carrying out all manner of jobs – rounding up the naughty younger Pokéshifters who were screaming and running around like lunatics; scurrying up trees deftly in their Pokémon forms to keep watch above the canopy; and one in particular, a muscular and powerful-bodied Ursaring, appeared to be lugging around a bulging burlap sack with the addition of carrying his little brother. The little boy was perched expertly on his brother's broad, furry shoulders, fudge-hued eyes deeply absorbed in the conkers he was casually tossing.

_That's gotta be Urso._ Frinos loped after him, his body now completely healed. _It sure feels good to move my legs without pain surging up them. _He was so fixated on that fact for a moment he suddenly rammed headlong into a chestnut-coloured blockade covered with battle scars. In other words, the Ursaring Pokéshifter.

"Ack! Sorry, there, mate," chuckled Frinos, but the Ursaring simply dumped a heavy dark-green rucksack in the Glaceon Pokéshifter's path before striding onwards. "Rations," informed the Ursaring's petite passenger helpfully.

_So these are our rations, huh? _Out of curiosity, Frinos tore open the bag's zip, for his eyes to be met with a cargo of nothing but food and water supplies. He could make out three water bottles, an entire loaf of fresh bread, several cans of assorted beans, and various goodies; a bar of chocolate, and a tub of – Frinos's favourite – _ice cream. _He felt his stomach innately yowl as he remembered how famished he was.

He sighed in pleasure. _Later, _he promised himself.

Shouldering the pack of edible essentials, Frinos returned to the mission at hand. _How in all of Arceus's realm did Jean manage to get that much food?_ he wondered as he began to pick up a brisk walk._ …Did she send out a group to raid the nearest supermarket?_

The Glaceon Pokéshifter set off at a light jog, allowing himself to transform as he did so. Within ten seconds his metamorphosis was complete, and a sleek, elegant Glaceon glided along in place of the azure-haired boy. Expertly dodging between the lower limbs of various Pokéshifters, Frinos quickly broke apart from the crowd and dashed through the shadowed undergrowth of open forest.

He danced among the weeds, brambles and roots as if he were figure skating or swishing between snowy moguls. This was one of the things Frinos loved most about his Pokémon form – his Glaceon body was swift, agile and sure-footed on the most challenging of terrains, much unlike his human form, which was clumsy in comparison.

The forest scenery was a fluid, dark peridot blur around Frinos as he moved, but still he panned his gaze across the immediate area, searching intently for any wisps of movement, or spots of colour, that seemed out of place.

His large triangular ears were pricked up, but he could barely hear a thing, save for the soft rustle of leaves displaced by his paws hitting the forest floor. Eerily silent, the dark trees gave off a sense of foreboding.

Slowing his pace slightly, Frinos glanced anxiously around, his Glaceon heart thudding in his chest. He had entered a smallish clearing, in which each blade of grass was defined starkly by the filtered moonlight and a carpet of nocturnal blossoms spread across the ground. However, the entire scene was utterly still – with not a breeze blowing in the too-silent air. It was as if the forest was trapped within another dimension in which regular temporal flow had ceased to exist.

Every individual follicle of Frinos's fur stood up on end. The suspense was almost too much to bear – it got to the point he was almost certain something horrible was about to happen, but, with every minute he waited, the scene seemed to become even more still. If that was even actually possible.

Frinos breathed a sigh which came out as more of a yowl. _Get a hold of yourself, Frinos. There's nothing nightmarish or scary out there… no ghoulish Pokémon ready to take your soul… in fact, it's the humans which are more dangerous than the Pokémon. You know that._

It was his internal voice again. _Holy Houndoom, that thing better shut up before I become schizophrenic._

He couldn't deny the voice had a point, though.

He edged forwards cautiously, one paw in front of the other, whipping his head from left to right and back again, watching the shadows, anticipating until he could be sure nothing with malevolent intent was out there.

"H-hello?"

Frinos reacted to the unfamiliar voice by firing an Ice Shard in the general direction of the sound. The icy globe hit the nearest tree, the chill spreading up its trunk and forming frost on the undersides of its leaves.

_"__Who's there?" _he yelped, momentarily forgetting he was in Pokémon form.

The branches of a nearby Oran Bush shifted apart in answer, and one – no, two – figures emerged.

The moonlight struck the duo head-on, so Frinos could see them clearly from his vantage point.

Both were female. One was clearly much older than the other – a tall girl in her late teens, whose red-orange irises fixed on Frinos intently. Her hair, an intoxicatingly rich silver-gold, cascaded and flowed like a moonlit river down past her waist. She wore a loosely-fitting woollen yellow jumper and a golden-hued skirt trimmed just above the knee. Her younger companion was cradled in her arms.

The younger girl, who couldn't have been much older than ten, at first seemed to be sleeping, but as her carrier approached Frinos realised she was in a bad state. Her face was beaded with sweat, her eyes shut tightly, her breathing shallow. Shoulder-length auburn hair fashioned into curled tips hung limply, as did the rest of her body. Frinos could make out a horrendous gash which rent through the kid's thick reddish-brown hoodie, staining the fabric with blood and an ominous purplish liquid, which the Glaceon Pokéshifter identified as Toxic venom. Her knee-length, autumn-coloured trousers were also torn in places, as were her dark-brown gloves and matching-coloured boots.

Frinos felt a pang of sympathy for the younger girl, however something about the older one unnerved him, so he kept his distance.

The golden-haired girl abruptly halted, simply staring at Frinos for a few fleeting seconds before asking, "Are you a Pokéshifter?" Her tone was vaguely neutral – it neither had a welcoming nor aggressive vibe to it. Her voice also had a slightly exotic lilt.

Frinos was at first apprehensive. It was true these two didn't seem like your typical Genmi thugs, but if there was anything he had learnt from watching horror movies, it was that trusting in any random stranger one met in the forest, at near-midnight, alone, was a surefire way to seal one's doom.

However, the girl seemed to sense this. She placed her charge on the grass in front of her before standing up and straightening.

All at once, golden swirls of light encased the teenager's body, orbiting her glowing form like planets around a star. Frinos found her transformation almost too bright to look at – but then the light dissipated, having re-formed into an elegant Ninetales with luxuriously silky, silvery fur covering every inch of its – _her _– body. Frinos could be sure it was that same Pokémon, as he counted nine orange-tipped tails and recognised the signature furry head crest of the species.

As rapidly as she had transformed, the girl was suddenly back again in a flash of golden illumination. "There. I've proved that I'm a Pokéshifter. Come on out now, Glaceon; I'm not going to hurt you."

Frinos was still wary. After all, he knew that Genmi had Pokéshifters in amongst their ranks – Naomi was solid proof of that. But he obliged. _After all, if they _did _want to hurt me, they probably would've by now._

He shifted, slightly hesitantly, back into his human form. His eyes switched between the two girls, analysing them for reactions.

The Ninetales Pokéshifter's face was coated in a satisfied smile. "I am Allegria the Ninetales Pokéshifter," she introduced, "and she –" continued Allegria, gesturing at the unconscious girl on the floor "- is Valencia. She's a Vulpix Pokéshifter."

"I'm Frinos," replied the said boy. "I'm a Glace- But you know that." He smiled, by way of greeting. Noting the evolutionary connection between Allegria and Valencia, he inquired, "Are you two sisters?"

Allegria answered with an elegant shake of the head. "No. We aren't in any way related. But she has no-one else to care for her, so I've made that my job. I guess you could say that we're "sisterly", in a sense."

Frinos nodded noncommittally – but now was the time to drop the small talk. He could help but notice Valencia's wound rapidly festering from the poison within it.

Before he could voice his concern, however, Allegria suddenly gripped the Glaceon Pokéshifter's shoulders and leant in towards his face, her flame-coloured irises mere inches from Frinos's own. "Valencia is badly poisoned. The toxins are slowly sapping her strength, and without an Antidote of any kind, she'll eventually die." Frinos noticed a hint of desperation was creeping into her otherwise confident voice.

"I…" he began, but was shortly interrupted.

"Would you… by any chance… know anyone… a human, Pokémon, Pokéshifter, I don't care! Just… anyone who can cure her!" Allegria's voice now rose to a shrill octave, and her red eyes pleaded.

Frinos's eyes lit up. "Don't worry. I know just the Pokéshifter for the job!" he declared brightly.

Allegria let go of him as quickly as she had grabbed him and whipped around, staring off into the seemingly endless darkness at something only visible to her gaze.

"It's no use. They're coming…" she murmured at a volume barely louder than a whisper.

"Who?" Frinos asked apprehensively, not wholly sure if he wanted to hear the answer. In fact, if he could place a wild guess, then he probably already knew. He felt his initial dread crawl back into his body, trebling in its intensity.

At that moment, the silence the forest had retained for so long was shattered by another voice, screaming a high-pitched yell. This time, a familiar voice.

"A-asuka!" Frinos hollered desperately, instantly dashing headlong for the source. "Can you hear me?!"

"Frinos!" Asuka yelped immediately back, clearly recognising the owner of the voice. "I'm-"

That was all she was able to say before her voice was abruptly cut off, and the woods submerged once again into its noiseless dimension.

Frinos gasped, hardly believing this was happening to him. _It's always one thing after another when you're a Pokéshifter. Can't I ever catch a break?_

But he quickly dislodged those complaintive thoughts – they would only slow him down in his mission to aid his friend.

He was milliseconds from delving into the undergrowth, but then Allegria called, "Wait!"

Frinos whipped back around. Allegria had gathered up the poisoned Vulpix Pokéshifter back into her arms and seemed to be slowly edging away, getting ready to sprint in the opposite direction.

"I wouldn't go there if I were you." And then, she was gone. There wasn't even a blur or a sound which ensued – it was as if she'd Teleported.

Then, for no apparent reason, Frinos's legs gave way under him. The grassy floor smacked him in the face as he fell.

The pain didn't register until a few nanoseconds later, but caused him to let out a shrill yelp.

He didn't get very far with that before a gloved hand plugged his mouth. Simultaneously, a deep yet silky masculine voice sounded from above Frinos. "Oh, screaming won't help you here. Why don't you stay quiet for a little bit?" Frinos heard a sound similar to steel scraping against a metal sheath. "This won't hurt. Much."

And then every other emotion and memory Frinos had dissolved into pain, endless, infinite, pain.

* * *

Many miles away from that particular forest, another, deeply unexplored zone of woodland flourished.

The sunlight, tinged verdant by the concealed forest's canopy, dappled the ground in small circular spotlights. Grass carpeted the ground, and flowers in a stunning spectrum of colours bloomed.

But the most stunning feature of this dazzling, long-forgotten forest was not the diverse array of Pokémon which dwelled in its depths, nor the fact that no human had set foot on its soil for almost a millennium. It was the _feel _of the air; the profound _energy _of nature – you could feel this power saturating every inch of the area. The only way to describe it – _magical._

At the epicentre of all this power, its heart, its origin – was, naturally, a great tree. Its gnarled and twisted buttress roots spread out in a biological matrix of bark and xylem, and its branches reached so high they seemed to disappear into the clouds. The nearby Pokémon were strangely attracted to the unique wavelength of energy this tree exuded – though none of them could explain it. The tree itself, however, was not the most puzzling thing. It was, in fact, the image of two humans – one male, one female, their bodies interlocking – etched into the bark, so lifelike it almost seemed unnatural. Almost.

But was it?

The Pokémon of the forest had no answers. But the secret to this mysterious woodland, and the origin of all its mystery, was concealed solely by the trees.

The trees of this particular forest were unlike any other. Because, if you listened carefully enough, you could just pick up a tiny sound within the breeze blowing through their branches, quieter even than the faintest whisper.

_Light… freedom… the world… I sense it all…_

_But… will I ever experience it again?_

_Or am I to be trapped in this realm of darkness forever?_

* * *

Tributes

-Valencia the Vulpix Pokeshifter created by 26388077

-Allegria the Ninetales Pokeshifter created by NeverToOldForPokemon


	16. Chapter 16: Meet And Grit

**Chapter Sixteen: Meet And Grit**

**_THE IMPACT OF _****marching feet **on the polished marble floor emitted an echoing sound which, in the profound silence of the corridor, could be heard over the throbbing of Luci's skull.

The Lucario Pokéshifter gritted her teeth as she and Flara were pulled and prodded along by the two Genmi guards. The two Pokeshifters were cuffed together at both their wrists and ankles, meaning that if that if they didn't both walk in unison they'd fall hard on the smooth marble.

Naturally, this was the last thing Luci would want, as she was in enough pain already. The gaudily-dressed man who swaggered haughtily in front of her was also not helping.

Luci had no idea where they were being taken, and didn't bother asking. Her captors weren't likely to tell her anyway – any titbit of information could give her an advantage. Escape now seemed futile, but the Lucario Pokéshifter still swept her gaze from side to side, looking for absolutely anything she could use to extract herself and Flara from this situation.

Shifting was out of the option. In her weakened state, there was a limit to what she could do, plus it probably wouldn't do much good in the long run anyway. The only use her Pokemon form would have right now would be to accurately read the Auras of those around her. But those she could sense anyway.

Flara's eccentric, happy-go-lucky Aura burned brightly beside Luci. The guards emanated Auras of extreme loyalty towards their superiors. But the flambouyantly-dressed man, the one with the gaudy fashion sense and ridiculous boater, had a strange Aura… one that seemed more than a little out of place.

Luci could easily sense the man's vanity and arrogance; those were aspects of his personality which she could probably pick up on even without reading his Aura. She also sensed loyalty and diligence within him too, and he was obviously allied with Genmi, even if he seemed a bit unconventional. But that wasn't the strangest thing about him.

Concentrating, Luci could pick up _something _within the man which was familiar yet mysterious. She was pretty sure she could've made sense of it in Pokemon form, yet even as a human it made her shudder. The thing was that this man was exuding an Aura of a frequency and wavelength uncannily similar to that of most Pokéshifters. But how could this man be a Pokéshifter, and yet be a member of Genmi, the organisation which captured and experimented on all Pokéshifters indiscriminately? It made no sense.

Still, Aura never lied.

Luci was broken out of her contemplation when Flara, as usual, decided to open her big mouth to ask an annoying question.

"Are we nearly there yet?"

Luci shot her an unrequited glare, but Mr Gaudy instead turned to the Flareon Pokéshifter with a smile.

"That is a good question, _ma chère_," he replied in that rather exotic drawl of his._ "_And the answer is: yes. It's just beyond this door!"

Sure enough, a large set of double doors hovered into view. Extravagantly carved, the eight-foot-tall portals were fashioned of pure mahogany, inlaid with brightly gilded patterns. Mr Gaudy stepped right up to the gleaming portal and knocked twice, utilising a brass doorknocker shaped in the likeness of a Pokémon Luci recognised as Pyroar.

_Holy Arceus, whoever commissioned this door must have really expensive taste in furniture, _Luci mused.

But all thoughts of doors were driven from Luci's head as soon as the Genmi guards swiftly proceeded to swing them open, having been granted permission from inside. As they did so, they uncuffed themselves from their captives and passed the chains along to Mr Gaudy.

Flara halted, causing Luci to momentarily lose balance and almost topple to the floor, only to have to right herself once again as their chaperone led the two Pokéshifters into the room beyond.

As Luci marvelled at the sight spread out before her, she reflected that anyone who had been impressed by the door would truly feast their eyes on what lay beyond it.

The room initially appeared as a small, though extravagantly furnished, library, complete with two pairs of enamel-white columns supporting the vast, vaulted ceiling. A stained-glass skylight was set in the centre, casting vibrant multicoloured shadows across the room.

The carpet was a vibrant indigo, patterned here and there with intricate purple, yellow and red spiral patterns. Furnished alcoves and bookshelves lined the curved walls, among desks cluttered with all manner of tomes, maps, scrolls and other intriguing objects. A gilded globe atlas the size of a small boulder stood before a bookcase on the left side of the room.

As they were led onwards between the columns, Luci absorbed everything in the room into her memory, as if she were using Giga Drain on every detail she laid eyes upon. She identified several objects which might work well as weapons, and all she would have to do was discreetly reach out a hand and nab one whilst her chaperone wasn't looking…

The Lucario Pokéshifter's fingers were inches from the gem-studded hilt of a golden dagger, but she was thrown off concentration at the sound of an unfamiliar voice piercing the air.

"So, it's you, Inyatis. And those elusive Sinnoh Pokéshifters, I presume."

Luci's eyes immediately snapped to the source of the sound. She could not see the speaker in person, but from the timbre of the voice, she guessed it was a woman. A tall-backed black office chair contained the speaker, who had her back turned towards them, and she faced a wall lined almost entirely with what appeared to be survelliance screens from behind a curvature purple desk, at which a computer was stationed.

The gaudily-dressed man stopped five feet short of the desk, causing Flara to do the same. Once again, Luci lost her balance and wobbled, this time actually falling, almost comically, face-first into the soft carpet. Naturally, Flara followed, landing on top of Luci in a heap of bodies and chains.

Their chaperone himself managed to remain upright, despite being also cuffed to the two Pokeshifters. He seemed to puff himself up at that point; straightening his back and adding a few inches to his height in order to appear more impressive towards his boss. "As you commanded, Madame Axalar," he replied smoothly.

"Good," came the voice from the chair, which still had its back turned. "Inyatis, uncuff them, if you please. It's unlikely they'll be able to escape my office, as secure as it is."

_Yeah, sure. I wouldn't count on it, Lady, _Luci practically spat.

But then the two of them were suddenly hauled upright by their chaperone; the man named Inyatis. He promptly fiddled with his own handcuff which connected to the Pokeshifters' restraints, causing them to simultaneously pop open and fall to the ground.

Luci glanced at Flara, conveying through her gaze, _"We'll find a way to escape. But you have to work with me on this."_

Flara winked in answer, though the Lucario Pokéshifter couldn't be too sure she had actually understood. There was never a way to be sure with Flara.

Abruptly, the chair spun round one hundred and eighty degrees to reveal a woman who was no doubt the one in charge around here. It was impossible to discern her age from her face – although it seemed to exert maturity and wisdom befitting one over the age of fifty, barely a wrinkle lined the woman's youthfully-smooth facial features. Whitish purple-streaked hair slashed across her forehead, underneath which two dark, burgundy-coloured irises alternated between the two Pokéshifters, thoroughly analysing them as if they were two cakes and she was pondering which one would be better to cut a slice out of.

Luci desperately tried to read the woman's Aura, but however hard she tried, she ran straight into a titanium wall. The boss of Genmi Incorporated appeared to have natural defenses against such Aura-reading abilities – her Aura itself seemed to shield her personality like a shroud, preventing it from being sensed by others. Well, it was either that, or this lady was not emanating any Aura at all. But that, as far as Luci knew, was impossible.

"Welcome, Pokéshifters," the woman greeted with a smile which could almost be interpreted as friendly. "I am pleased to meet you. I shall introduce myself; Axalar Genmi, CEO of Genmi Incorporated. I have brought you here to ask you a few questions. So, I may as well begin. What are your names?"

Axalar held out her hand as one would for a handshake, but Luci interpreted it as a mocking gesture. She slapped the hand as hard as she could, simultaneously shooting Axalar a glare which conveyed her utter comtempt for this woman and her organisation.

The older woman drew her hand back gracefully, and appeared to laugh the act of violence off with a short chuckle and an observation of, "You're a rather feisty one, aren't you?"

Flara seemed oblivious to it, but Luci noticed it, as plain as a blank piece of paper; Axalar Genmi aimed her eyes like arrows at Luci, firing a look which could be described as nothing short of "murderous". The fleeting glance stated, _"Touch me again, girl, and you will be guaranteed a slow and painful death."_

Luci gritted her teeth. _I'll show you. I'll show you you should've thought twice about messing with us Pokéshifters._

Flara, who had been surprisingly silent, suddenly spoke up. "Wait a second, lady," she murmured, dangerously quietly and calmly for such a hyperactive girl. "Just _who _did you say you were again?"

Axalar rolled her eyes in response. "You heard me the first time, I'm sure. Besides, I am the one asking the questions in this situation, not the other way around. I repeat, in case you were dense enough for it to not fully sink in the first time: What are your names?" Her voice had a threatening edge to it, though nothing in her expression gave away the fact she was displeased.

Flara did not answer immediately. She stood, more silently than a Ghost-Type, her body shaking slightly from the tension in her muscles. Luci couldn't fully see Flara's face, but what she _could _see disturbed her.

The grimace twisting the Flareon Pokéshifter's face suddenly distorted into a smirk. "Like I'd ever tell you that!"

As soon as that sentence was out of Flara's mouth, everything seemed to momentarily fast-forward. Luci was certain that if she had blinked at that point, she would've completely missed Flara's transformation. In a flash of fiery orange-red light, girl became Pokémon, and lashed out at her adversary at an impossible speed, canine fangs bared to perform a bone-snapping Crunch.

Axalar Genmi hardly moved. In fact, she looked on, as placid as a still lake, until the Flareon Pokéshifter was millimetres from touching her.

And then, Luci's sharp eyes caught the silver glint of steel whipping through the air, followed by a truly terrifying sound.

The sharp gunshot reverberated around the room as it fired, quickly making its impact. Flara was thrown backwards from the force of the shot, re-shifting as she did so. Blood gushed through the air in small fountains until she slammed into the nearest column, letting out a gasp of agony which caused her to spew yet more blood out.

Luci was so shocked by this event that she didn't react for a full five seconds. She simply stared at Flara, who moaned, clutching her side and screwing up her face in pain. Luci could not pinpoint the place where the bullet had sunk in, though it appeared to be somewhere within Flara's abdomen, judging from the blood spilling out from her belly area and staining her tank top.

The Lucario Pokéshifter fearfully switched her gaze from Flara to Axalar. The woman looked as if she had done nothing less mundane than throw out the week's rubbish. She lackadaisically shoved the still-smoking firearm into its holster, which was concealed beneath her blazer.

Those callous maroon irises honed in on Luci. Axalar seemed utterly indifferent to Flara's pained yelps, though out of the corner of her eye, Luci noticed that Inyatis seemed to flinch, at least for a second, at the sound of Flara's anguish. But Genmi's henchman soon regained his nonchalant composure.

Axalar stepped threateningly towards Luci, who innately shuffled backwards in response. Usually, Luci would never act so passively in battle, but there was something about this woman… something which warned all six of her senses that trying to fight back would be a death sentence. That carmine gaze told no lie; this woman wouldn't have cared had she killed Flara instead of injuring her, and probably would've done so had Flara not been moving so rapidly. And she was fully prepared to do the same to Luci should she refuse to cooperate.

"It doesn't matter if she dies," Axalar pronounced coolly. "I only need one of you to answer my questions. So, you have two options, my dear Pokéshifter. Either you agree to tell me all that you know, or you decide to force my hand into extracting the information from you by force. Understood?"

As the rhetorical question flew off her lips, Axalar's hand clamped over Luci's shoulder. Her touch was not just cold – it was a frigid contact which caused a numbing in her shoulder which soon turned into an almost unbearable burning sensation, as if the cells in her shoulder were being frozen to death.

Luci could not remember a time when she had felt so terrified. Axalar's penetrating glare, and the way she loomed over Luci like a gigantic mountain – all opposition was immediately washed away with a single glance. She couldn't even imagine considering standing up against this woman. She couldn't believe that she'd ever tried to.

"Y-yes, ma'am," Luci stammered. "My… my name is L-Luci Strider."

Axalar gave a small, yet triumphant, smirk. "That's better," she commented, removing her hand from the Lucario Pokéshifter's shoulder. "So, Luci Strider, do tell. What Pokémon do you transform into?"

"L-Lucario."

The older woman looked her up and down, her smile widening. "Ah, I assumed so. How apt." She paced around the room as she talked, all the time fixing her eyes on Luci. "So, Luci. Do you mind telling us more about that "Pokéshifter Squad" you seem to be a part of? Where are your friends, the ones who managed to hijack our ship, headed to next? Mmm? It would be most pleasing for me to know about the antics of your… allies."

A large lump caught in Luci's throat. _What should I do? _she pondered. _If I talk, my friends are doomed. But if I don't, _I'm _doomed…_

A series of macarbre images flooded Luci's mind – of her friends being ambushed, taken out and brought to this very HQ to be subject to horrific experiments. On the other hand, she pictured herself being tortured – burnt, branded, whipped, beaten; in so much pain she'd simply collapse, weeping, choking out the answer to Axalar's question in an anguished cry.

Luci almost wept right then and there – which was not something she did easily. Her lip trembled, causing her words to flow shakily out of her mouth, "I… I-I…"

At that point, Flara, as weak as she was, managed to infiltrate the conversation. She reached out a hand spasmodically, attempting to drag herself towards Luci. Although her face was creased with pain and effort, she managed to speak through it. "Hey… Hey, Genmi!" she gasped, her body heaving with every syllable.

Axalar gazed at Flara out of the corner of her eye, as if pondering whether she should take further action now it seemed the girl still had energy left to talk.

An elastic smile broke out across the Flareon Pokéshifter's sweat-soaked face. "You'll… never… beat us. No matter… how hard you try…" Flara attempted to stand up, but the pain proved too much even for her. But even as she sank to the floor again, that grin never wavered. "'Cos… we're Pokéshifters! And… and we don't ever give up!"

Axalar's eyes narrowed in Flara's direction dangerously. "Inyatis," she commanded, "shut her up."

Inyatis seemed to hesitate, just for a millisecond. "…Yes, Madame." He moved briskly towards Flara, who lay sprawled, bloodied and vulnerable across Axalar's carpet.

Luci knew what was coming next. She tensed up, bracing herself for it, unwilling to look, and yet unable to turn away.

Then, suddenly, chestnut irises pierced hers. That smile still lingered, as huge as ever.

Something ignited inside Luci at that point. Something which had been quenched by Axalar's intimidation, but was now burning strongly.

_Us Pokéshifters… we stand together. And nothing Genmi does, or tries to do, will ever change that!_

In that split second, Luci made her decision; to defend Flara's life, no matter the cost.

That passionate energy flowing through her viens gave Luci the boost she needed to shift. Her headache, now completely forgotten, faded into the background as she transformed instantly, letting off a rapid-fire Aura Sphere as soon as it was complete.

The blue orb streaked through the air at terminal velocity. There was no possible way Axalar could've dodged it – and yet she did. From Luci's perspective, she seemed to sidestep the attack, but she could not be sure if that was an illusion, or a Pokémon using Substitute, or…

"My, my," Axalar chastised. "Luci Strider, you Pokéshifters are far too predictable for my liking. It's a shame. I would've put you two to some _real_ use had you been intelligent enough to cooperate with me."

Luci found herself backpedalling again, horror filling her as Axalar advanced. She reached under her blazer to pull out – her gun? A Poké Ball?

Luci didn't wait to find out. _Use another move! _her brain screamed, and her muscles obliged.

The Lucario Pokéshifter tapped into her inner darkness, allowing it to flow freely and spread through her Aura. She then fired this darkness-imbued Aura at Axalar's chest before she could react. The woman was blown backwards several feet from the Dark Pulse, grinding to a halt a metre from her desk.

It bought just the right amount of time Luci needed. Inyatis was quick to reach Flara, but Luci was quicker. All the loudly-dressed man saw was an indigo blur as she dropped in, gathered up Flara in her arms and made to escape, all whilst using ExtremeSpeed.

Luci's mind was frantic, barely thinking as she bolted towards those extravagant double doors, which were flanked by those same two guards.

She very nearly missed a familiar pink-and-red blur cutting in front of her, and was forced to screech to a halt as Inyatis blocked her path, a determined smirk plastered over his face.

"_Arret! _Not so fast, Pokéshifters. Madame Axalar and I have not planned for you to leave this room quite yet." Tossing back his magenta fringe with a theatric flick of his head, Inyatis took his gaudy-coloured boater between his thumb and forefinger and flicked it into the air.

_What… How?! No ordinary person could've moved that fast! _Luci mentally gasped as the boater sailed through the air.

As the hat landed back on Inyatis's head, all was explained. And Luci's suspicions were confirmed.

For smirking at her underneath that ridiculous lopsided boater was not the face of a human; rather, a Pokémon.

Luci did not stop to question the fact that this particular Pokéshifter worked for Genmi. No – she was too busy trying to figure out what Pokémon it was that Inyatis had transformed into. The pale pink colouration, the abundance of bowties and ribbons – neither were familiar, though it explained the man's fashion sense, at least.

Luci moved in to attack him, but Inyatis spoke up before she got the chance. _"Oh, come now! You would never attack a Pokémon as innocent and beautiful as me… _non_?"_

The Pokémon winked, glittering magenta lovehearts spiralling off his crimson irises. Luci froze. Although those hearts, radiating rather innocently out from Inyatis's body, appeared to be nothing more than a cheesy Valentine's decoration floating through the air, the Lucario Pokeshifter knew better. She instantly recognised this lovey-dovey display as a façade of a truly terrifying attack – Attract.

_If just one of those hearts touch me… _Luci shuddered. _I'll be done for…_

Luci pressed forward, performing aerial parkour in her acrobatic Lucario form, deftly dodging the attack. But it was difficult, as Flara weighed her down and the attack simply kept spreading until she could hardly see the room for those sparkly pink lovehearts.

_Arceus, help me, _Luci pleaded as she dived in utter desperation – but there was no escape from Attract. She barely noticed the attack hit her – but she knew it had. A soft, warm caress was felt initially from her chest, and spread outwards from where the loveheart impacted. It was a glorious feeling, being hit by Attract; passion filled her top to toe and caused her to tremble in delight.

All other thoughts were wiped from Luci's mind, except for thoughts of _him_; with that smooth, dazzling coat and those intoxicating eyes… Truly, the most handsome Pokémon she'd ever seen…

Luci's mouth slackened, and she ceased all movement – she didn't even blink, she just gazed adoringly at Inyatis, a blushing pancake smile even wider than Flara's on her face.

_"__I've never… seen a Pokémon more beautiful," _she murmured dreamily.

_"__There's plenty more where that came from, Lucario girl," _Inyatis replied smugly. _"Now, if you'd just be so kind as to stay being infatuated for a few more seconds, I'll…"_

The Pokeshifter suddenly broke off, and appeared to gaze upwards, though Luci found it hard to tell through the lovey-dovey haze she was viewing him through. _"Wh-whaat?!"_

"Luci!" another voice called, piercing the haze. "Luci… the ceiling's… it's… falling in!"

Immediately recognising the voice as Flara's, Luci snapped back into reality. The Flareon Pokéshifter's pained face gazed at her urgently. "Get outta here!"

Without thinking, Luci leapt backwards before the waterfall of glass, brick and plaster could come tumbling down onto their heads. Inyatis was not so fortunate, and disappeared beneath the rubble, lost in the small dust cloud which ensued.

"You Pokéshifters… you think you're so clever, don't you?"

Although the voice sounded calm, a hint of fury was audible within it, and Luci knew immediately that she should not spend time berating herself for forgetting that Axalar Genmi existed within the room – rather, she should flatten her body and Flara's to the ground.

Which was exactly what she did – just in time to miss a volley of gunshots sailing over their heads.

Luci braced herself for the bullet which would inevitably hit, but then she realised – Axalar _wasn't _aiming at them…

She looked up as soon as she sensed the two unfamiliar Auras. Both Pokéshifters, no doubt.

The newcomers scrabbled among the rubble, sliding and ducking to avoid Axalar's enraged shots. In the following milliseconds, Luci's observant Lucario eyes absorbed as much detail as she could.

One was quite clearly female, with two bushy reddish pigtails whipping through the air as she staggered. Her Aura was of an orange hue, and it took a little time for Luci to decipher the Pokémon it took the form of. Eventually, she decided on Delphox – a Pokémon she, admittedly, knew next to nothing about.

The other, Luci thought, was male, though he was noticeably shorter than his female companion. The lilac-coloured Aura surrounding him was that of a Ralts.

Both Pokéshifters careened towards them, somehow dodging the onslaught of bullets. "Shiro! We need to leave, pronto!" the girl yelled somewhat hysterically.

"I'm on it, Akira!" the boy yelped in agreement. He grasped Luci's hand, much to her surprise, and met her eyes. "Hang on tightly. Here goes Teleport…"

Luci was firstly aware of a blinding flash of light, and then the world around her dissolved into darkness. She wasn't able to see – she was only able to fall down into the abyss, and scream for what seemed like eternity.

* * *

The shadowed leafy alcoves of the unnamed forest provided the perfect cover for Haku and Sakura, who slalomed among the trees swiftly yet silently. The two Dark-Type Pokéshifters followed the echoing screams of Maddy – down the slope and deeper into the midnight wilderness.

It didn't take long for Haku to realise that he was definitely retracing his pawprints back to the stream he had left their unconscious attackers at. Which meant that Maddy was…

_Shit, _Haku internally swore, cursing himself and the world around him. _Why do I never have disaster dreams at a time when they would actually be useful?_

Lactic acid burned Haku's legs, but he barely noticed. As another pained cry reverberated through the forest, the Absol Pokéshifter accelerated his sprint even further, eager to reach the action scene before those screams could cease.

Haku could hear Sakura dashing along a mere metre behind him, but her powerful, light footsteps could barely be heard over her laboured breathing. She would doubtlessly tire soon and fall behind. But Haku wasn't having any of it.

_"__Come on! Just a few more metres… I'm sure…"_

Haku's estimate, as usual, was correct; several strides later, the duo burst into the small clearing the Absol Pokéshifter himself had stood in only half an hour earlier.

Sure enough, the Genmi subordinate and her Hypno were back in action. They had their backs turned towards the Pokéshifters, each focusing on Maddy, who hung Psychically suspended eight feet above the stream. She was clearly in pain from the crushing force of the attack, and yelped with every fresh bout that hit her.

"It'll be much easier for you if you just told us, _freak_," the Genmi worker insisted harshly. "Honest. All you have to do is spill the beans about where your disgusting little Pokéshifter friends are hiding. Now. And I may consider sparing you if you comply – although you'll have to come along with us, of course. You should be grateful that I haven't killed you already."

Maddy's pained expression transformed momentarily into a defiant glare. "I'd rather die than join the ranks of your organisation," she snarled. "So why don't you just go ahead and do it?"

Haku almost yelled, _"Don't be so suicidal!" _but he knew it would have negligible effect at this point.

Genmi's Hypno immediately reacted, raising a clamped fist to increase the agony factor of his Psychic torture.

Maddy screamed once again – sounding more anguished than ever before. The cry stabbed poisoned needles into Haku's body – and this proved too much for the teenage Pokéshifter. He no longer cared what happened to himself; he just couldn't stand idly by whilst he witnessed yet another friend die.

Haku attacked so quickly, he barely noticed himself moving. He first let off a rapid-fire Shadow Ball before moving in with an equally swift Night Slash, both of which hit their mark.

Hypno keeled over without a moment's resitance, the injuries the Pokémon had sustained in his previous battle clearly taking their toll. The pinkish Psychic glow surrounding Maddy flickered and died as the Hypno fainted, causing the Latias Pokéshifter to drop with a splash into the stream she had been hovering over.

Haku knew from the angle of her fall and the stream's soft sediment bed that Maddy would be mostly uninjured from the drop. So instead he turned to the immediate threat – Genmi's lackey.

The woman met his eyes, a glimmer of triumph sparkling within them. "It seems I have no more use for you, Latias freak. Because your own friends have voluntarily given themselves up to me." An intent smirk spread across her features.

Haku's body tensed. _There's something else in this equation, other than this woman and her Hypno. Why else would she be acting so cockily?_

As Haku waited, observing warily, the Genmi subordinate lazily withdrew her Hypno back into its Poke Ball. "So, you defeated my Hypno. Doesn't mean you're all victorious now or anything, does it? Hypno's not even the most powerful weapon in my possession." Her smirk widened as she replaced the enscapulated Pokemon into her utility belt.

A low growl emitted from Haku's throat. He was getting an extremely bad feeling about the nonchalant way in which his adversary was acting. Clearly she was concealing something which would help her get a superior advantage. But Haku had no idea what – and he _hated_ not knowing.

His eyes panned across the woman's form, analysing every single motion she made, predicting her actions – would she lash out at Haku herself, or throw another Poké Ball? – and then, when the actual attack occurred, he almost missed it.

Her arm moved like lightning - first to her belt, and then swirled in a long arc towards Sakura.

It was then that the woman's true intentions hit Haku harder than Close Combat. It wasn't the Absol Pokéshifter she cared about in this instant – she was more interested in Sakura…

The object she held in her hands was unmistakeably a gun. However, there was something ominous about it which Haku couldn't quite explain. And Haku was always wary of things which he couldn't explain.

"I only have one shot," the Genmi subordinate proclaimed, "so I might as well get back what's rightfully mine!"

And then she fired.

The bullet, rending a purplish streak through the air as it moved, seemed to fly in slow-motion. Sakura, who had hung back from the fight at the fringe of the trees, hardly moved – she simply stared at the oncoming bullet in horror.

With Maddy possibly out of it, Haku knew that he himself was the only thing standing between that bullet and Sakura.

It was risky, he knew. But he knew Sakura couldn't take it any more, and neither could he.

_This whole escapade was my fault anyway, _he reasoned, _so I might as well pay the price for it._

He sprang out into the bullet's path, twisting in mid-air so the projectile was less likely to hit any vital organs.

Searing pain immediately erupted from his flank, just below his ribs. He knew he wouldn't die, at least not instantly, from the shot but he still felt as though someone had sliced his body in half.

The agony and shock caused him to re-shift, and he collapsed onto the grass, gritting his teeth and holding back tears.

"Gah! You idiot! It wasn't supposed to be-"

The Genmi subordinate was cut off from her speech, instead emitting a strained gasp, as if she were letting out her life force through her mouth.

Haku managed to rotate his head enough to glimpse what was going on.

The woman's mouth was slack, her eyes rolled wildly, and her body shuddered spasmodically. It was easy to figure out why from the indigo-blue claw which had punctured her chest as easily as a needle puncturing a bike tyre.

There was no way the woman would survive from that attack. As far as Haku could see, the Dragon Claw had hit the human's coronary artery.

She collapsed within seconds, as Maddy withdrew her Latias paw from the fast-cooling corpse. The teenager re-shifted, an equal mixture of shock, horror and disgust upon her face.

"I-I didn't m-mean to kill her," she stammered, obviously not believing what she had just done.

Although the pain was still unbearable, Haku managed to speak. "I know. It's… it's okay. Well, it's not, but… you know."

Maddy sighed, hanging her head. "Yeah… she was a horrible person and all. She probably _did _deserve to die, after the way she used that poor Zoroark Pokéshifter and then… you…" The girl squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, ponytail bouncing, as if she were trying to dislodge the memory. "I just don't want to have to live the rest of my life as… as a murderer!" She sank to her knees, gazing at the corpse in front of her, distraught. She then gazed at Haku in anguish. "I'm… I'm sorry, Haku. This… this is all my fault…"

"No. I provoked you in the first place," Haku murmured. "And technically, it was manslaughter. If that makes you feel any better…"

Maddy looked as if she were about to respond, but at that moment Sakura appeared to recover from her shock enough to run over, shifting as she did so. "H-Haku! Are you… are you…" She was unable to form the rest of the words through her choking sobs.

"Not… not exactly," Haku replied, managing a laugh in spite of the situation. However, he could already feel the pain receding. _That's odd, _he thought, _especially for a gunshot wound. _"I'm okay," he decided, amending after a few seconds. "I think."

Sakura blinked tears out of her eyes. "R-really?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't say that unless it had some truth to it."

"Wow, Mister Wise Guy," Maddy commented, looking Haku up and down. "You must be superhuman!" It was then that she noticed Sakura, and she jumped upon meeting the Zoroark Pokéshifter's maroon irises. "Oh, um, hi there…" she murmured awkwardly, her voice trailing off as she did so.

Sakura did not respond other than to look down meekly at Haku.

"Maybe I'm just Super Lucky," Haku pondered, sitting up slowly. "It is my Ability, after all."

No-one laughed, even though it was meant as a joke. The trio of Pokéshifters sat on the grass in silence for a full minute, recovering from everything which had happened to them in the past hour or so. The stream's cascading rapids and the Hoothoot inhabitants of the forest made the only audible sounds.

Haku broke the silence with a long sigh. He decided he needed to take a look at his wound – his head was now fully cleared and the pain had dimmed to a dull throb.

He pulled up the edge of his black cotton jacket and shirt so the area that the bullet had sank into was visible. The bullet seemed to have pierced his skin cleanly, producing only a tiny about of blood which had soon scabbed over. What bothered Haku about this wound was that the skin around it had taken on a vibrant purple hue, constrasting against his naturally pale skin tone. The colouration proved not to be a bruise, as it didn't hurt when Haku lightly prodded it. Even more chillingly, the mark seemed to spiral outwards from the bullet to form a rough capital letter "G" – almost identical to that of the Genmi logo.

"Arceus!" Maddy gasped when she saw it. "I-I don't know what in Houndour that is, Haku, but I _don't_ think you're okay."

Haku shook his head in agreement. "No. She shot me with a modified bullet, I'm sure of it. The pain has already almost receded, which is the first clue that this projectile is irregular. Besides, she wasn't trying to _kill _Sakura with that gun. What reason would she have for that? No, she said… she said she'd "take back what was rightfully hers"…" His voice trailed off abruptly into the realm of his mind.

"I could… use Recover?" Maddy suggested.

"No," Haku replied immediately. "Recover won't heal _this _wound. If my deduction is correct, the bullet may need to be removed surgically."

Sakura's face looked tortured at that news, and Maddy grimaced, equally disgusted at the prospect. "There's no way I'm going to cut you open, Haku. You'll probably die in the process."

"Exactly right," Haku replied. "Which is why I need to get to a professional. Besides, carrying out surgery in an unsanitary environment such as an uncharted forest is not always a great idea."

Maddy rolled her eyes, some of her familiar old self returning. "I assume this means more flying?"

"I'm afraid so," Haku confirmed, a smile touching his lips as Maddy groaned.

"Wherever we're going, you're going to owe me your weight in food once we get there, Mister Wise Guy."

Haku's smile disappeared when he laid eyes on the lifeless corpse of the Genmi subordinate. The vengeful woman who had attempted to kill them, and had held Sakura hostage under Hypnosis for Arceus knows how long, was no longer that dangerous, violent individual. In death, the nameless Genmi grunt seemed the opposite of evil – peaceful, victimised; vulnerable, almost.

Haku couldn't stir up much sympathy for her, considering all the trouble she'd caused for the three of them. But still. _This was the first person Maddy ever killed. How many more people will die at her hands? How many at mine?_

The Absol Pokéshifter knew that sometimes in life, sacrifices had to be made. In a war, both sides had to bleed. Sometimes, it was inevitable. Necessary. Though Haku sometimes wished it didn't have to be.

Haku could tell that Maddy, who was kneeling beside him, was thinking more or less the same thing. Sighing, she bent over and closed the corpse's unfocused dark eyes.

Meanwhile, Haku gathered up the gun which the human had shot him with. The firearm was purplish and silver-chrome in colour, and was small; vaguely pistol-sized. Resolving to examine it later, Haku placed the weapon into his internal jacket pocket, next to the kooky contraption Sed had given him. He wasn't quite sure why he'd hung onto that so-called Celestial Scarf, seeing as it was probably just a dud, a distraction meant to throw him off guard, but he figured he might eventually find some use for it.

Haku stood up, wobbling slightly before righting himself. "Just one more thing, then we can depart." He turned to the Zoroark Pokéshifter. "Sakura? Do you want to do the honours?"

"H-huh?!" Sakura yelped in her barely audible whisper. "Wh-what do you w-want me to do?"

"Release the Hypno."

Sakura looked shocked and apprehensive at the same time. "You… y-you want m-me to…?"

"Yes," Haku replied, slightly exasperatedly. "You're the one who knows him best."

"O-oh… y-yes, I suppose," Sakura muttered, kneeling to prise the sole Poké Ball off the Genmi subordinate's belt. With shaking hands, she tapped the button on the contraption. She yelped, almost dropping the ball as it swung open, Hypno streaking out in a flash of bluish-white light.

All three of them watched the Pokémon warily, but the Psychic-Type seemed more confused than violent. Two close-set eyes above a yellow beak-like nose drifted from one face to the other, and finally to the Hypno's dead Trainer.

Hypno appeared to recognise Sakura. He bounded over like a happy Spoink and hugged her around the middle. The Zoroark Pokéshifter reacted frantically, her cheeks blushing scarlet, as Hypno let out a stream of muffled noises into her trench coat before practically skipping off, melting into the trees as he did so.

Maddy blinked. "Whoa. So, what did he say? I didn't quite catch it."

Sakura appeared to take a sudden interest in the pebble directly beneath her. "He… he said… "Thanks for freeing me"… T-that's all…"

Haku waited. It seemed as though the Zoroark Pokéshifter was about to say some more, but she seemingly decided against it.

"Well, anyway," Maddy interjected, "where to, Mister Wise Guy? You're the one with the mental map of the world in your head."

"It's not far," Haku murmured, consulting the mental world map he did, in fact, possess. "According to my calculations, travelling at Maddy's average speed of about 80 miles per hour – although maybe it would be a little less due to the fact she'll be carrying Sakura's weight in Pokémon form as well as mine – it should take-"

"Shut up, Mister Wise Guy!" Maddy snapped. "I don't want to hear all about your complex mathematical formulae. Just tell me where our next stop is!"

Haku shrugged. "I thought you would be interested, but no matter. Our destination, if you really want to know, is Lumiose City, Kalos."

* * *

Tributes

-Akira the Delphox Pokeshifter and Shiro the Ralts Pokeshifter created by KoeryMunushin


	17. Chapter 17: Toxic Haste

**Chapter Seventeen: ****Toxic Haste**

**_GAZING CURIOUSLY DOWN _****at his **torso, Frinos's half-conscious mind wondered just how it had come to be utterly bare but for the guaze bandages criss-crossing his body from the shoulder to the waist.

"How…?" the Glaceon Pokeshifter muttered under his breath. He slowly, gradually, lifted his hand up towards his face, staring at his slackened digits as he did so, as though he had never seen fingers before.

_Everything's so… blurry. Why's that?_

It hit him as his hand simultaneously impacted on his forehead.

_My glasses!_

Frinos twisted his neck around in panic, though all he could distinguish around him was a mess of colourful, blurry blobs like a two-year-old's finger-painting "masterpiece". Then Frinos's brown irises spontaneously fell on an object, barely seven inches away from him; a familiar sky-blue blur sitting atop another, beige blur.

He made a swipe for the object, missed once, then managed to grab one of the temple tips. Frinos almost stabbed himself in the eye in his haste to don his glasses, the very instruments which made vision possible for him.

Once Frinos's eyewear had been replaced upon the bridge of his nose, all the blobs and blurs instantly clarified into distinguishable objects.

But once he could actually investigate his surroundings, another question came to Frinos's mind: where exactly _was _he?

Trawling through his mind surfaced absolutely nothing. The Glaceon Pokeshifter did not recognise the cramped, cluttered room his was in; nor did he have any memory of how he had ended up shirtless, bandaged and strewn across a sheetless matress dumped in an alcove bordered by an oak wardrobe and several bookshelves.

In fact, he could barely remember anything beyond the fact that his name was Frinos Rayong and that he was a Glaceon Pokéshifter. Amnesia, perhaps? Frinos couldn't even remember what that word meant. Wasn't it a Pokémon move? Or something like that?

_Where am I? _he wondered again. _How did I get here? And most importantly, where are my clothes?_

The subtle chill in the air was really getting to him. It was strange; even in temperatures others described as blisteringly hot, Frinos still felt cold. He'd always assumed it was something to do with being an Ice-Type.

The room would be hard to differentiate from a rubbish tip. Every square metre of the beige carpet – well, the tiny specks Frinos could see poking through the mess appeared beige – was covered in several layers of assorted books, dirt, dust, a sole Super Rod, and clothes; though among them, no garments he recognised as belonging to him. He also vaguely recognised a half-opened rucksack on the floor beside his matress. The contents of which were mostly food, but almost all of it had already been unwrapped and gorged upon.

Frinos could easily glimpse a scene through the room's single window. Judging by the intensity of the light he could see filtering in, it was currently late in the afternoon. The light itself was reflected in the deep cerulean blue of a canal, which was flanked by two paved streets and lined with vintage streetlamps. A steady traffic of people and Pokémon walked the road both ways, an endless hubbub of conversation among them.

"Well, well, look who decided to come crawling back out of his concussion."

Frinos felt his blood seem to chill in his arteries as he heard that smooth, silky, and oddly, ominously familiar voice, making his body feel even more frigid than it already felt.

_Where _had he heard that voice before? And _why _did the sound of it instill so much fear in him?

He didn't want to, but he knew he had to see the speaker, see the origin of that voice, and the fear and tension which hung like a Guillotine blade over the room. He cast an apprehensive chestnut-brown gaze over the rolling slopes of assorted debris, until he met with the ebony irises of a boy in his late teens, standing casually in the doorway.

Although his face seemed impassive but for a small, rather mysterious smirk, the boy seemed intimidating to Frinos. It wasn't just because he was physically imposing – standing at almost six feet tall and having a well-toned, muscular body which dwarfed that of the diminutive and rather skinny Glaceon Pokéshifter.

No – there was something else, but Frinos couldn't figure out quite what was unnerving him about this unfamiliar teenager. And that fact frightened him even more.

It was true the boy didn't look like your typical human being, and even where Pokéshifters were concerned (if in fact that was what he was), he had memorable features. The teen possessed a strange, gravity-defying coiffure which seemed to be gelled into a diagonal arrowhead pointing upwards, hued with a unique mixture of silver and purple streaks. He had an extremely pale skin tone, which seemed to be utterly devoid of any pigmentation, with the exception of a blood-red tattoo in the shape of a fanged heart over his right shoulder. His dress code was mainly plum purple; a sleeveless plum-coloured hoodie and long purple trousers with flared tips.

But even then, the most striking feature of this individual's appearance was the ornate piece of jewellery which encircled his left forearm. The thick reddish-gold armband spiralled from the teen's wrist to the crook of his elbow, sporting a lilac jewel in roughly the centre of the band which formed the shape of a crescent moon.

As Frinos gazed at it, he realised that it was the mysterious, unexplainable allure of that armband which was causing him to shiver. But that was stupid. After all, who was frightened by a piece of jewellery?

_Holy Arceus, you're like a little Torchic, _Frinos's internal voice muttered rather exasperatedly.

The teenager had obviously noticed the way in which Frinos was staring at him, almost unblinkingly, without uttering a word. "Not much of a talker, huh?" he observed casually, taking a step towards the Glaceon Pokéshifter.

Frinos flinched at his approach, but his back spasmed in pain at the sudden movement. His back felt as though it was splitting apart vertically. He couldn't help but let out a yowl of anguish.

In that pain, a memory returned to him. Of a forest… of darkness… of being all alone… and then sudden pain and then… nothing…

His recollection faded, but the agony did not. Frinos was only slightly aware of his chest undulating, heaving against the gauze bandages which were wrapped across it.

And then, somehow, the mysterious teenager had his hands on Frinos's shoulders, steadying him. "Don't move," he murmured. "I'll get you fixed up. It's a side effect of the poison."

The plum-clothed boy tossed Frinos on his stomach strongly but not roughly. His face buried in the matress, the Glaceon Pokeshifter felt his bandages being unravelled and then a short, sharp stinging sensation across his back. And then, the pain was miraculously gone.

Frinos sat up awkwardly, half afraid his back would suddenly spasm again. The boy who loomed over him sighed, replacing a dark-yellow spray bottle on a nearby shelf. "That's the last of my Antidote. You'll have to recover from the poison yourself now until your wound heals."

The Glaceon Pokeshifter blinked. "I…I was poisoned? I don't remember-"

"Of course you don't," interrupted the other boy. "You have temporary amnesia. That's another side effect of the venom."

"Temporary…" Frinos repeated, trailing off. "But who _are _you?"

That half-mysterious, half-playful smirk was back on the other boy's face. "Who am I? What a very good question. Alas, the only person who knows the true answer to that question is yours truly. But I will allow you to know my name, if only because I'm getting fed up of the narrator referring to me as "the other boy" or "the tall teenager"." He paused, as if waiting for Frinos to acknowledge his breaking of the fourth wall. "Call me Koumori."

"Koumori…" Frinos carefully pronounced. "Well, I'm –"

"Frinos Rayong the Glaceon Pokéshifter. Yup. No secrets there." Koumori's smirk widened.

Under Koumori's gaze, the Glaceon Pokéshifter felt vulnerable. _How had he been able to recite that so easily? Even if he _did_ know it already… Seriously. It's like he can…_

"Mmhmm. Keep guessing," Koumori replied, even though Frinos hadn't said anything. He casually pulled out a chair from a nearby cluttered desk and sat down as he spoke.

Frinos simply stared at this Koumori character for a full minute, trying to analyse him like a set of encoded data – but it seemed utterly impossible. There were two many questions circulating in Frinos's head and he needed answers to them. This whole situation was utterly confusing, and Koumori's cryptic answers weren't helping him at all.

_Well… there's no real harm in just asking him, is there?_

"Are you a-" Frinos began, only to be cut off by Koumori once again.

"A Pokéshifter? Indeed I am," the said teenager replied, meeting Frinos's gaze.

The Glaceon Pokéshifter resisted the urge to shoot Koumori a glare. "What kind?"

"Oh, why don't you guess? That makes it a lot more interesting," the other Pokéshifter replied, violet eyebrows half-hidden in his fringe.

It was then that Frinos realised something crucial. _This guy's just like Haku, only creepier…_

Then: _Haku?! Haku! I remember Haku! How in Arceus's name did I forget about Haku? _

"Haku, is it? Are you a _Spirited Away _fanboy by any chance?" Koumori asked, his smirk now more mischievous than anything else.

"No… not that Haku." Frinos shook his head remorsefully. "He was, uh, a friend of mine… my best friend, actually… until… until he died…"

"Huh," Koumori replied contemplatively. "Only… he's not _really _dead, is he?"

This comment vibrated up the wrong neurone in Frinos's mind. He rose, drawing himself up to his full height, his body tensing up completely in anger. Koumori made no reaction – and this display truly tipped Frinos over the edge.

"Who do you think you are?!" he raged, right into Koumori's smirking face. "I don't know how you're doing that – perhaps you're a Psychic-Type or something, I don't know! – but don't, _don't _snoop in on my memories. That includes the ones I haven't yet managed to recall. No… you can't do that… it's too personal, too private, and it's not fair. You don't see me trawling through _your_ memory banks, huh, do you?" He spared a second to catch his breath. "So stop it, _now, _or I'll Ice Shard you into a million pieces, bastard!"

Outburst over, Frinos sank back heavily onto his matress. He was suddenly fatigued, but whether it was because of his poisoned wound or his recent expenditure of energy, he had no way of knowing.

Koumori didn't seem to react much to Frinos's speech, although that mischievous smirk did dissipate off his face. After a long pause, he sighed and replied, rather reluctantly: "…Alright, then, Frinos Rayong. Just this once. I'll stop reading your memories…" This sentence was followed by incomprehensible muttering which Frinos was unable to decipher.

The Glaceon Pokéshifter gazed suspiciously at Koumori. _Just who is this guy? He doesn't seem like _too_ much of a threat, but still. What's his deal? And why am I feeling so… so tense around him?_

"Oh, yeah, and just so you know we're even, I'll even reveal what kind of Pokéshifter I am, just for you."

Before Frinos could reply, Koumori's body erupted into what appeared to be a venomous-purple gas cloud. The Glaceon Pokéshifter flinched as the fumes passed over him, although they caused him no harm; it was as if purple mist was simply wafting around him. As soon as the violet gas had dissipated, a ghost-white Crobat could be seen flapping on his four powerful cross-shaped wings, regarding Frinos through cool mauve irises.

_Crobat. He's a Crobat Pokéshifter. A Poison-Type, right…? Wait… Poison!?_

Suddenly, an electrical connection was made in Frinos's mind, and he recalled everything up to the point he had fallen unconscious, back in the forest on a scouting mission for Jean. Yesterday. Or had it been yesterday? How long had he even been unconscious?

He'd met two Pokéshifters. A Ninetales and… and a Vulpix. The Vulpix had been suffering badly from the effects of Toxic poison. Frinos had attempted to help them, but then… he had been attacked at some point. And the last thing he had heard before he had lost consciousness had been… had been… Koumori's voice…

Frinos almost flinched at the recall – he could feel his back stinging in pain once again, but this time at the mere memory.

"So? Are we done here?" Frinos actually flinched at the sound of that smooth, sinister timbre. The Glaceon Pokéshifter had been so engrossed, he hadn't even noticed Koumori shift back to human form. "I'm going to need to check on the girl, as well."

Frinos blinked, surprised. "The girl?"

Koumori had his face turned away from Frinos as he answered. "…Yeah. If you're so curious about it, why don't you come take a look for yourself?"

"O-okay," the Glaceon Pokéshifter replied shakily. _Don't… don't say anything else about it. Just watch him. Just… play it cautious, Frinos, play it cautious…_

"I… Just one thing, Koumori."

"Yeah?"

Frinos glanced down sheepishly down at his guaze-wrapped body. "Can… can you get me some clothes? It's chilly and I feel really awkward standing in front of you here half-naked."

Frinos couldn't stop himself from shaking, and not just because of the cold. _Does he already know that I've figured it out? That my memory's returned? He said he'd stop reading my mind, but I definitely don't trust this guy…_

The Glaceon Pokéshifter slowly stood up. Koumori had his back to him as he was preoccupied, rummaging in the wardrobe.

_It's better to be safe than sorry…_

Frinos clenched his fists.

_And he deserves it. He poisoned a poor defenceless child!_

Suddenly, without any warning or telltale sign at all, Koumori pivoted towards Frinos so fast the Ice-Type didn't even see him move. The Crobat Pokéshifter grasped underneath Frinos's bandages, there being a lack of anything else to find purchase on, and slammed him against the white plaster of the wall so hard the Glaceon Pokéshifter was almost certain his spinal cord had cracked.

"Oh, no," Koumori uttered silkily. "We can't have any of that, Glaceon."

For a millisecond, Frinos was certain of his death. He sent a prayer to Arceus in his desperation, praying for Haku and Flara and all the other members of the Pokéshifter Squad, his long-lost friends whom he had only just remembered. And he prepared to let out all his pain and terror in a single resounding scream…

"Oh, hey, Koumori!" A voice broke in, trilling. "You'll never guess what I-" The voice broke off as suddenly as it had started, and in that instant, Frinos realised he recognised it. "Frinos?!"

The Glaceon Pokéshifter then met eyes with the magenta irises of Asuka, who was gazing at him in utter confusion from across the room, and he immediately muttered, "Smack me."

Koumori obliged.

* * *

Silence was heavy in the forest air. Mt Coronet loomed, a massive, mysterious shadow of rock hulking like a dormant Probopass.

Every single one of the eighty-two Pokéshifters currently crowded in the small grove held in their tense breaths, squatting on the grass, hidden in the post-midnight darkness.

The only audible sound was the impatient, subtle tapping of Jean's left boot on a loose stone as all of them waited.

Waited for the news to be delivered.

Jean's hazel eyes registered a rustle of leaves in the canopy above. A ripple spread through the crowd as they noticed the sentinel, a nimble Furret Pokéshifter, slink rapidly down the trunk of the tree. The Furret had shifted before his paws had touched the ground.

The Normal-Type, now in the form of a lanky brown-haired boy, stood up from his crouching position and met Jean's gaze. The silence was profound as he spoke.

"They're approaching from the west, ma'am," he confirmed formally.

At that news, the tension in the atmosphere seemed to break, though otherwise there was no reaction from any of the other Pokéshifters.

Jean would never admit it, but she found it more than a little awkward when the liberated Pokéshifters spoke to her as if she were some sort of high-ranking official. Yes, she was their leader, and even though she hadn't initially planned on it, she'd taken up the position anyway, being the only one who was really capable of leading the Pokéshifters. Also, many of the others had practically insisted on it. But she felt she wasn't wholly ready for the responsibility of all these Pokéshifters who thought so highly of her.

"Are you certain?" Jean questioned. She didn't doubt this Pokéshifter in regards to him lying; he seemed very loyal. But the Genesect Pokéshifter wasn't sure that this boy, even with his sharp Furret eyes, could easily distinguish the shapes of two humanoid Pokéshifters in this perpetual darkness. In fact, she doubted if even a Luxray could.

"I'm… I'm pretty sure," he answered hesistantly. "I could see two lone female Pokéshifters – well, one was definitely female – in human form. Who else could it be?"

"Anyone," Jean muttered under her breath. But she knew that whether these two arrivals were Piko with her charge, Brooke, or not, she and the rest of her fugitive crew would find out soon.

Even so, she couldn't shake this crushing feeling of foreboding off her shoulders. What was out in that forest, hiding in the darkness, just waiting to get a chance to rip them apart?

"Re-ascend that tree," Jean ordered brusquely. "If you see anyone or anything else suspicious, immediately descend and verbalise your findings to me."

"Y-yes, sir. I mean, ma'am." He then scooted back up the tree from whence he came.

And just in time, too. As, at that exact second, the bushes just behind Jean began to rustle ominously. The Genesect Pokéshifter whirled around, ready to unleash a Hyper Beam which would raze the vegetitation directly in front of her to the ground, but her tense muscles relaxed once she recognised the short, messy do of Piko as she emerged from the leaves. The other girl, with her shoulder-length obsidian hair and fearful indigo eyes, Jean figured must be Brooke.

But at the same time, Jean knew there was something horribly wrong.

The two Pokéshifters were physically battered and seemed utterly fatigued. Although they didn't have any serious wounds from what Jean could see, they hardly looked as if they'd just had a sedate, peaceful walk through the forest.

Before Jean could even pose the obvious question of "What in all of Arceus's realm took you so long?!", Piko protested, "T'wasn't my fault, Jean! Brooke's friend was the most ridiculous girl I've ever met. She forced us to stay for dinner,_ then_ spent the best part of an hour seeing Brooke off, with loads of waving and hugging and all that sentimental crap." She paused, before adding a disgusted "Ugh".

Brooke flashed a sheepish one-second smile, but otherwise made no comment.

Jean gazed between the two girls sternly. "Is that all? Then why does your appearance suggest that you were involved in some sort of barbarous brawl?"

Piko paused for a few seconds as she unsuccessfully tried to figure out the definition of the word "barbarous", before grunting, "Well, obviously we ran into Genmi. Who else would I have gotten into a fight with?"

"Oh, I'm not sure," interjected another voice, full to the brim with cynicism and spite. "Your own ego, maybe?"

"Shut your fucking mouth, you spineless snake," Piko retorted, locking eyes with Naomi. "No-one asked you to open it!"

"Silence, Houndoom," Jean demanded, gazing at Piko dangerously. "Save this conflict for a time when Genmi _aren't _on our heels. Piko, tell me exactly what happened."

Piko's facial features twisted into a leer, but she didn't protest. "They ambushed us about halfway to the camp. I did what I could to protect Brooke, and I managed to polish off a few of 'em, but more kept coming. We managed to run away, and here we are." She spread her hands almost defensively. "And don't ask me where they are now, 'cos I don't know. I just hope we lost 'em."

Jean sighed. "Well, it looks as if now would be a good time to leave. After all, avoiding Genmi until we have a chance to recollect ourselves is paramount." She turned back to the mass of Pokéshifters she'd managed to collect as desciples. Well, most of them, at least. Some she knew despised her. Others were extremely grateful for how she had single-handedly freed them from Genmi's captivity… well, she hadn't, not really.

Naomi the Ekans Pokéshifter had been the one to personally press the release button whilst Jean had been engaged with battling Atomica's Porygon-Z. And she hadn't even been acknowledged for it. Jean knew Naomi hated her for taking the credit, but the Genesect Pokéshifter also wasn't quite ready to put her trust in that turntail just yet.

Forcing herself to ignore Naomi, Jean panned her gaze across her company. She was pretty sure that now Piko and Brooke had returned, all the Pokéshifters which had been originally incarcerated in the Genmi Sinnoh HQ were now accounted for.

Or were they?

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Naomi, once again, spitting out her sentence in a wave of condescending bitterness. "If I remember rightly, you sent Frinos out on a scouting mission to find those two. But he hasn't been back since."

Jean felt a chill encompass her body, as if ice crystals were growing like mould all over her skin. _She's correct… _the Genesect Pokéshifter realised as she scanned the crowd. _Frinos isn't among the throng… _

"Oh yeah, and Asuka went after him. She hasn't returned yet either."

Immediately, the chill of fear Jean could feel was replaced by molten-hot anger. Jean strode threateningly towards the Ekans Pokéshifter. "And why exactly _didn't_ you tell me this news as soon as it was instigated?!"

Naomi shrugged. "I was busy."

Jean knew that Naomi's real excuse was that she simply didn't care. _She doesn't care about Asuka, about Genmi, or about any of her fellow Pokéshifters, _Jean thought bitterly. _She's completely out for herself, that one._

"Did either of you two encounter Frinos or Asuka in the forest?" she promptly directed at Piko and Brooke.

"You mean that blue-haired Glaceon Pokéshifter and his girlfriend?" responded the Houndoom Pokéshifter. "Nah. We didn't see them."

"Shit," Jean cursed under her breath. She hated breaking promises, but she knew that the lives of eighty-or-so Pokéshifters would supersede that of a mere two. Frinos and Asuka, wherever they may be, would have to fend for themselves. For now it was time to leave.

"We're departing. Now," she decided with finality.

Jean only just managed to ignore Naomi's cynical laughter and derogatory comments as they reverberated around the grove. "Some leader you are!" she yelled. "And if I remember correctly, _you _were the one who promised that you weren't going to leave a single Pokéshifter behind! Hah! What a moron!"

The Genesect Pokéshifter just managed to resist the urge to X-Scissor the Ekans Pokéshifter to shreds. "Everyone," she addressed the group, "We're moving out! We will travel east, towards Mt Coronet, until we are safely out of range of Genmi. Do not fall behind, as I cannot guarantee your safety!"

The Pokéshifters immediately scrambled to their feet, ready to run at the first hint of danger. Most of them were practised in the art of running for their lives and freedom; many had been doing just that for their entire lives.

"Furrow!" Jean's orders travelled up the tree to where the Furret Pokéshifter was still at his lookout post. "Do you see anything, anything at all?"

"Hang on…" Furrow mumbled, before crying out, "Yeah! …I mean, yes, ma'am! There is one… no, there are two lone humans… or Pokéshifters, I can't be sure! One of them is being carried by the other… I think…"

"Really?" Jean breathed out a relieved sigh. _It seems to be that Frinos and Asuka made it back just in time…_

But the two figures which emerged from the forest just behind Piko and Brooke were definitely _not _those of Frinos and Asuka.

The forms of a tall, unfamiliar girl in her late teens and a much younger child being cradled in her arms were bathed in the moonlight. Jean immediately noted the horrendous, purplish gash running diagonally across the second girl's chest, and recognised the symptoms of a Toxic poison fever within the child; skin as pale as a Litwick's wax and beads of sweat shining in the minimal light.

The older girl was breathing heavily, as if she had just crossed the finish line of a Pokéathlon race at a sprint finish. Yet, even so, she managed to maintain an air of elegance about herself. She straightened up, blowing a lock of silky yellow hair out of her face, before speaking, her voice an octave of utter desperation. "Please. You must help us! We're being chased and… and… if Valencia doesn't get an Antidote soon…"

The girl never finished her sentence. Because, at that moment, the forest erupted into chaos all around her.

* * *

Inyatis took one glance at Axalar's face and knew he was in for the tirade of his life.

And quite possibly the beating of his life, too.

Before his superior even uttered a word, she smacked him across the face so hard he almost toppled over. He managed to right himself using the nearest column, but knew that his right cheek would be stinging for the rest of the day and the impact would leave a scarlet-red mark which could quite possibly ruin his complexion forever.

This wasn't the first time Inyatis had been slapped by Axalar, but Axalar's slaps weren't really something a person – or Pokéshifter, for that matter – could get used to. He'd never known anyone who could slap harder or more painfully than Axalar Genmi.

"_D-désolé, _Madame Axalar," he apologised sheepishly. "I… I will not… fail you again…"

"Petty words, Inyatis," his superior snapped. "How many times have I told you only to shift into Pokémon form _when absolutely necessary_?!"

"I…I thought it was necessary, Maman… er, Madame Axalar." Inyatis managed to meet his boss's gaze. "They were going to get away-"

"Well, they _weren't _going to, until those _other _Pokéshifters had to show up and complicate things. You yourself know better than almost anyone, Inyatis, just how heavily guarded these Headquarters are."

Inyatis didn't answer – it was a rhetorical statement. And so Axalar continued.

"Well, Inyatis. If you're still willing to be of some use to me, dispatch a search party into the field immediately to search for the escaped Pokéshifters. Oh, and contact Xerno. We're going to need his Emboar's strength to clear up that." She gestured pointedly at the rubble littering the carpet of her office.

Inyatis innately rubbed his temples and adjusted his gaudy boater as he gazed at the mound of brick, plaster and glass which he had almost been crushed under during his fight with the Lucario Pokéshifter. Luckily, the debris had missed the various priceless artifacts arranged around the room, but it had torn a huge chunk out of the ceiling, including the expensive stained-glass dome. He presumed that the second pair of Pokéshifters had smashed the dome in order to infiltrate the building. Though why… and how did they manage to infiltrate in the first place? Inyatis supposed this would be answered once the Pokéshifters could be recaptured and interrogated.

Tenderly rubbing the area where Axalar had slapped him, Inyatis straightened up and made to carry out his orders. Though there was something nagging him in the back of his mind. Something he had previously refused to acknowledge.

That pang he had felt when Axalar had shot the Flareon Pokéshifter. He'd felt it before, numerous times, when he'd witnessed Axalar ruthlessly maiming or killing any human, Pokémon or Pokéshifter who had dared to oppose her. Yes, he knew that Axalar had acted in self-defense, and that the Flareon Pokéshifter was a rogue; an evildoer with no place in society. But still… had it been necessary to shoot the kid? Judging from her wounds, the girl would most likely die before she could be recaptured. And that would have just been a waste of good experimental material.

No… it wasn't just that. The Pokéshifter's death would be more than just the death of some good fodder for the labs. It would be the death of a sentient being. Like the death of any other human or Pokémon.

However, Inyatis knew better than to state this aloud to Axalar. She'd probably think of him as being divergent. As being on the side of the rogues.

_I'm not on their side, _Inyatis consoled himself hurriedly. _They are, after all, my enemies. They're standing in the way of Genmi achieving their ultimate goal; of creating a world in which all Pokémon, Pokéshifters and humans can live in harmony._

He smiled as his mind filled with visions of this wonderful world, and his moment of doubt dissipated. _And I'll help make this dream a reality._

The first step would be to recapture those Pokéshifters whilst the trail was still fresh.

Inyatis was just about to order the guards at the massive mahogany door to open the portal for him, when he turned back once more to Axalar.

The woman had settled herself back in her office chair, and appeared to be poring through various files on her computer. She was acting as though the whole kerfuffle with the Pokéshifters had never happened.

"I will not fail you, Madame Axalar," Inyatis promised.

"That's good to know, Inyatis," his superior replied. "If you do, I might have to take certain measures to ensure you don't ever again."

* * *

Tributes

-Koumori the Crobat Pokeshifter created by 26823670


	18. Chapter 18: Kalosian Shenanigans

**Chapter Eighteen: Kalosian Shenanigans**

**_WITHIN THE DARK, _****abyssal realm **Luci tumbled through unseeingly, a light suddenly flickered. A sudden twinkle, like a tiny diamond wrapped in folds of velvet. But then, the glimmer suddenly widened, forming a gaping hole of brilliant light which the Lucario Pokéshifter tumbled headlong through.

After that, she could see only swathes of brick-red.

Somehow, she managed to land on the soles of her feet, though she toppled backwards as soon as her paws hit the ground.

She then rapidly shifted, almost without noticing it happening. The sensation was all too familiar.

Luci panned her amber eyes across her surroundings, taking a moment to simply observe the scenery. Although what she saw around her couldn't exactly be described as picturesque.

Parched, cracked ceramic-red clay stretched out in a plain for miles, interrupted here and there by gigantic boulders and spires of rock which jutted skyward, scraping the cloudless atmosphere overhead. The arid landscape only seemed to allow miniscule weeds and tiny shrubs to flourish on its waterless terrain. In the distance, an odd collection of buildings could be seen obscuring the horizon; Luci could pick out gargantuan satellites and a mess of huge wires and poles which she thought wouldn't have looked out of place in a sci-fi movie.

_So, this is the Kalos region? _Luci mused. _Not quite what I was expecting, but interesting, anyway…_

"Where are we…?" Luci muttered, only realising she had spoken once she heard the words rolling off her tongue.

"The Lumiose Badlands. Shiro Teleported us here."

The voice emanated from the Delphox Pokéshifter, the girl Luci had glimpsed just before she'd Teleported. She had a slight accent, similar to the one Inyatis possessed, but nowhere near as pronounced.

Luci took a good long look at her. Akira, was that her name? In any case, her vermilion hair, only a shade more scarlet than Flara's, hung in two long, shaggy pigtails which reached almost to her shoulders. Deep red eyes locked somewhat warily with Luci's. The girl had a moderately pale skin tone, and Luci placed her age at about eighteen, though she appeared even older because of her height. Her upper body was clad in a sleeveless yellow jacket, with a fiery-orange shirt visible underneath, and she also wore a crimson skirt with a belt looped through the waist.

Her companion, the grass-green-haired boy Luci knew to be a Ralts Pokéshifter, nodded in response. "Yup," he responded with a friendly smile. "The situation was hectic, I know, so I had to choose somewhere which would be easy to Teleport to in the heat of the moment. The Lumiose Badlands are fairly close to where we were before, but it should take them a long time to catch up to us." The kid seemed younger than Akira, but that was probably just because he was shorter. He had warm scarlet eyes, a pale complexion, and his entire body, lest his head, was swathed entirely in white robes decorated by intricate and fascinatingly unfamiliar red patterns.

At that point, Luci let out a pent-up breath in a gush of air she hadn't realised she'd been holding in. "You saved us," she uttered. "I guess I should thank you two."

But before either Pokéshifter could reply, Flara, as was her habit, interjected. "Uh… guys…? A little… help?" came a pained gasp from Luci's left.

The Lucario Pokéshifter wasted no time in berating herself for forgetting about Flara, and instead instantly scrambled to her side. "F-Flara!" she yelped, "Are you…" Luci cut her sentence off as she realised Flara definitely _wasn't _alright.

The blood soaking her tank top had by now seeped into the ground, which lapped up the moisture greedily. "Yeah, Lu. Never been better," she answered, somehow managing to form another of her pancake grins – though this time, Luci could clearly see the pain within it.

"Teleporting took a heavy toll on her body, and now her wound's bleeding so fast she'll die in a matter of minutes. But I can fix it."

It was the Ralts Pokéshifter. Luci glanced upwards, meeting the boy's friendly, trusting red irises. He had materialised so quickly beside Flara Luci had to wonder if he'd Teleported again.

"Stand back," the boy warned as he knelt.

Luci was at first apprehensive, before remembering that Ralts were able to use a diverse array of healing moves. So she obligingly stepped back.

A flash of lavender light was all it took for the boy to shift into his Pokémon form. Immediately after his transformation was complete, he stuck his tiny pale Ralts arms right into Flara's wound and screwed up his face in concentration as his energy transferred into the Flareon Pokéshifter.

The unmistakable magenta glow of a Heal Pulse began in the two red horns atop the Ralts's head and rapidly flowed down his body, through his arms and into Flara's still-bleeding wound. The effects of the move spread out in a spiral, and once the glow had faded it left no evidence that Flara had ever been shot, save for a small hole in the fabric of her now-vibrant orange tank top.

Of course, instead of a simple "thank you", Flara had to express her gratitude in the most unpredictable and eccentric of ways. "Yee-ha!" she yelled triumphantly, leaping up from her former position on the ground and hugging the Ralts Pokéshifter around the middle, almost toppling the small boy over as he shifted back into human form. "This Pokéshifter gets to live another day, thanks to YOU! …Er… I didn't get your name. What was it again?"

"Shiro." The boy smiled, though Luci could see the sweat-drops beading all over his face. "And you're welcome."

"Th-thank two. For, well, everything, really," Luci murmured.

Akira flashed Luci a smile, though it was as fleeting as a flash of Thunder. "_Pas de probleme. _But…" She paused, taking a moment glance suspiciously at her surroundings. Luci knew Akira was checking all directions for danger; being a survivalist, she herself had used that tactic many times. "Shiro and I need to go now. You two had best be off too; the Lumiose Badlands are a dangerous place, particularly for someone who barely knows anything about them."

Luci blinked. "Huh…? Aren't we… aren't we going with you two?" she questioned, though even as she said it, various thoughts circulated in her mind, most of them musing things like _She's wary of us. She doesn't want us around. Maybe it would just be better if we went with her suggestion and let the two of them carry on on their own…_

And once the question was out of her mouth, Luci regretted it. For although her Aura-reading skills were relatively poor in her human form, she could already sense the building anger within the Delphox Pokéshifter.

"No!" Akira denied vehemently. "I-I mean, no. Shiro and I will be fine on our own… thank you very much." She then pivoted slightly theatrically on her boot and made to storm off.

"Don't mind her," Shiro explained, "she often gets touchy around people she's just met." He sighed, before turning in the direction Akira was now briskly walking. "Sorry. I need to go-"

"Wait!" Flara protested, grasping the folds of Shiro's robe and yanking him backwards. "We don't know our way around here! What makes you think we were born and raised in Kalos, huh?"

Luci nodded, agreeing. "And how in Arceus's name did you get into Genmi's Headquarters? You do know you practically fell from the ceiling on top of us, right?"

"Oh… that. Ha-ha," Shiro chuckled. He glanced behind him at the disappearing form of Akira, who was slowly fading into the heat shimmer. "That little fiasco was Akira. We infiltrated through the ventitlation system, though we were trying to get to the basement, where the Pokéshifters Genmi holds captive are kept. But it turns out that Akira hit the wrong valve to turn off the ventilation and ended up blowing the whole thing up instead. Sorry about that. We almost killed you guys… Er, and…" The Ralts Pokéshifter reached deep within his robe, bringing out a battered and worn, but nevertheless readable, Town Map. He handed it to Luci, who simply stared at it. "Oh, don't worry, you guys. I won't be losing anything by giving that map to you. Akira knows the Kalos region like the back of her paw! But, you know, don't blame Akira for all this. She's had… trust issues… in the past. You understand, don't you?"

Luci could only nod.

"Well…" Shiro continued, bowing slightly, "it's been nice meeting you two. I hope to see you again some day. Fate clearly brought us to meet each other. Hopefully it will happen again!"

Luci and Flara could only stand by whilst the Psychic-Type's body dissolved in a globe of gleaming light so bright Luci was forced to turn her gaze away and Flara snapped on her sunglasses. But, a millisecond later, the light at winked out, and Shiro had gone with it.

"Well, that escalated quickly," Luci muttered.

Flara, also clearly disgruntled at their two rescuers' early departure, blew a raspberry. "Oh, come on! Couldn't he at least have given us a lift? I don't want to be stuck out in this… wasteland…" She kicked a loose pebble across the cracked soil contemptfully. "Yeah, it's hot here, sure, but what if we're out here so long it gets dark? Then it'll chill us to the bone! Holy Arceus, we'll die from the cold! And that's the worst possible way anyone could die!"

Luci, unlike Leone, was not one for resisting urges, so she smacked Flara across the crown of her head with the Town Map, its plastic casing making a satisfying impact. "Get a hold of yourself," she growled. "And have a little sympathy for a change! I hope you realise how frustrating it is to be on my own with only you for company!"

"Owch, that hurt," was Flara's only reply. "So, where're we going?" she asked after a short pause.

"Isn't it obvious, Poffin-head? To find our damn friends!" Luci responded irritably. She unbuttoned the casing of the Town Map, to be greeted by a detailed representation of an utterly unfamiliar region. "Uh… so. I don't know if Leone and the others made it out of Sandgem Town safely after what happened on that boat, but we have to hope. Anyway, if by some miracle they managed to fight off Genmi and reclaim the boat, they should be headed to Cyllage City, which is… um… where, exactly?"

"Right here!" Flara bounded in helpfully, stabbing her finger at a white dot along Kalos's western coast labelled as "Cyllage City".

"Oh," Luci uttered. "I never knew you were so good at reading maps, Flara."

"Nah, I'm not!" she admitted. "I just saw the name!"

Luci raised her eyes exasperatedly to the unblemished cerulean sky, shielding her eyes against the relentless sunlight beaming onto her body. All she could see in every direction was wasteland, wasteland and yet more wasteland.

_This is going to be a long, long journey._

* * *

_"_So, guys, what's the plan?"

"What do you mean, _what's the plan? _Isn't it your job to think up plans, O Most High and Mighty Queen Leone? Hurry up and tell us, 'cos I'm _sure _you have a truly impressive one that our feeble minds could never hope to fabricate."

"Oh, shut up, Avia! Why do you have to be such an Arceus-damned git?"

Hydrus Karoski the Swampert Pokéshifter sat indifferent to the loud banter emanating from his friends and traveling companions. Seated on a squat rigging post a fair few metres from the ruckus, he gazed out at the sparkling horizon, where the sapphire and azure shades seemed to blend together, creating a mirage which appeared to connect the sea and sky together. But Hydrus saw none of that. Neither did he seem to fully register the fact that he was in a strange new region and that he and his allies had practically no idea what they were doing. No; his mind was submerged in other thoughts.

_Makara… Was that really her, back at the port in Sandgem Town?_

He had a hard time believing it, especially since he had seen the girl _die _practically before his eyes, but… was there some way she could have survived? Hydrus accepted that it could be possible… she _was _an incredibly strong Pokéshifter, after all. _A legendary, at that…_

But still… what would she be doing in Sandgem Town, of all places? _Was she looking for me? _But no, that couldn't be right. Makara hadn't appeared to even recognise him when he'd smacked into her on the seafront, knocking them both down like dominoes. _Is it possible she… doesn't remember me?_

Hydrus sincerely hoped not, as that would break his heart more than anything. He gritted his teeth, grasping at the roots of his dark hair in frustration. _Damn it… And she disappeared so soon… I never did get the chance to tell her…_

_That I loved her…_

"Hey there, Mopey-dopey!" Jubilee's over-enthusiastic voice Slashed through Hydrus's sombre memories. She knelt down next to him, so she could better meet his gaze. "What's the story? Tell Auntie Juby why you're so mopey."

Although all Hydrus really wanted was to be left alone with his memories, he found, as he had so many times before, that he just couldn't say no to the eccentric Ludicolo Pokéshifter. There was something about her constantly-happy demeanour and unwavering desire to cheer others up that made Jubilee one of the few people he felt comfortable with sharing his problems. That was perhaps why he had become such good friends with her in the first place.

The Swampert Pokéshifter sighed. "Just… memories."

Jubilee's facial features took on a puzzled look. "What kind of memories? Good ones? Bad ones? Cake-eating ones?" She giggled. "Probably bad ones, huh."

"Mmm," Hydrus hummed in response. "If I'm honest… I was thinking about Makara… and…" He hung his head. "Well… you know…"

"Hey." Jubilee's voice usually blasted at the volume of a hundred decibels, but now her tone could be described as gentle and soft; quiet, almost. She placed an arm around Hydrus's broad shoulders comfortingly. "She's not gone forever, you know. It's the memory of her that counts! And who knows what might happen? A miracle could occur, for all we know! She could still be out there, somewhere, and maybe you'll even see her again!"

"I did see her again." Hydrus rose abruptly.

The Ludicolo Pokéshifter reacted to that statement by falling flat on her arse, then jumping upwards rapidly as if there were hidden springs in the paving stones. "Whaaaat?! Seriously?! That's amaaaaazing!" she proclaimed, her heterochromial eyes glittering. "You never told us!"

"I know. I needed time to think and process it myself…" He averted his gaze almost ashamedly. "I'm sorry, Jubilee, but it was all so sudden and strange. She just… appeared… at Sandgem Harbour, right in the middle of the crowd. It _had _to be her. It was either her, or a Ditto using Transform. But… but she… She didn't recognise me and then… she just disappeared…"

Hydrus felt his lower lip tremble and his vision blur, but managed to hold back his tears. "It's just… I wonder… What's the point? If she doesn't know me anymore… I might as well just forget entirely about her…"

"How can you say that, Hydrus?" scolded Jubilee. "You don't ever give up on your friends. And you don't abandon your memories. How can you? They're part of your mind and soul! So don't give up, Hydrus. And don't be such a bloody pessimist." With her hands on her hips, she gave a good-natured guffaw. "Oh, Hydrus, eh? Will you ever stop filling the glass half-empty?"

The Swampert Pokéshifter felt his lips turning upwards without him consciously moving them. It was one of Jubilee's trademarks; she had a special talent, almost like an extra Ability, to make others genuinely smile whether they wanted to or not. _I'm lucky to have a friend like her._

"I guess not." His smile widened into a grin.

"Is that a smile I see?" Jubilee grinned in return. "Great job, Hydrus, m'boy, you'll go far!" She then proceeded to thump him on the back so hard he thought he might regurgitate the veritable feast he'd managed to nosh on back on the ship. "Just keep smiling!"

"Hey, you two slackers! Why don't you stop trying to kill each other and actually do something useful instead?"

The interjection came from Leone. The curly-haired, well-toned Torterra Pokéshifter trained her meadow-coloured eyes on the two Water-Types.

Avia, who stood beside her, shot the Grass-Type a contemptful sidelong glance. "Hey! I'm the leader of the Watershifter Trio, Plant-Brain. The only one allowed to boss those two around here is me!"

Leone ignored the Wartortle Pokéshifter. "Anyway, Hydrus, Jubilee, because you probably didn't hear our… discussion, I'll tell you the plan as it stands."

"The plan?" Hydrus questioned, blinking.

"Yeah. Now we're in Kalos, we're going to need to gather ourselves up and search for a safe place to stay the night, aren't we? I've already sent Akari, Somber and Sphaera to scout the nearby area for any potential dangers, especially any traces of Genmi. They're to come back and tell us immediately if they see anything remotely suspicious. Jubilee and I will stay here and unload the ship of as many supplies as we can take with us. And Avia will be out searching for a potential buyer for the ship, as we're flat-out broke and we could really use the PokéDollars."

Avia's indigo eyes rolled at Leone's last sentence. "Your idea, not mine," she grumbled. "So if we find we're ever in dire need of a ship later on, you've only got yourself to blame."

"And, uh, my job?" Hydrus asked, somewhat awkwardly. He was almost afraid to hear the answer; working with people he didn't fully know or trust was not something he excelled at.

Leone had to tilt her head back slightly to meet his gaze. "Oh, Hydrus. You're to search the city for a Pokémon Centre or somewhere else like one where we'll be able to stay the night. For free, if possible."

"Well, aren't you a miser?" Avia retorted. Leone ignored her once again – she seemed to be getting a lot better at it, as before she had made a habit of starting an argument with the other girl every time she spoke.

Hydrus nodded. "Er… I'll go do that, then, m-ma'am." He set off briskly down the paved pier, making a beeline for the centre of Cyllage City. An internal sigh escaped him as he made his getaway – at least this mission was solo, and there wasn't any risk of the Swampert Pokéshifter getting into an awkward situation with anyone else.

Or so he thought…

* * *

Flara's intuition had been correct, as she knew it was surely going to be. Although the Lumiose Badlands were a baking oven by day, they were colder than the most frigid of refrigerators by night. Even Flara's internal fire wasn't enough to warm her as she and Luci plodded, trembling, through the dark landscape of strange, shadowed rock formations and treacherous Trapinch pitfalls with only the reflective silver-grey surface of the moon to guide their journey. There weren't even any stars – the hazy air which shimmered during the daytime had concealed them from view.

It had been hard going. Both Pokéshifters were ravenously hungry, desperately thirsty and fatigued to the utter core. The last meal the two of them had eaten had been the heartiest breakfast they could afford back in Floaroma Town, but even the very last dregs of energy they had absorbed from that were now slipping away. Shiro's Heal Pulse hadn't cured Flara's desire for food, and now she was running out of water to produce saliva. Even though she was a Fire-Type and didn't often drink pure water, Flara found herself suddenly craving it.

To make matters worse, the rather aggressive wild Pokémon living in, or rather, underneath, the badlands had attacked the two Pokéshifters in organised hordes or trapped them, in the case of Trapinch, into almost-inescapable quicksand pitfalls. Fighting them off had drained the last of their Power Points, rendering their Pokémon forms now useless in battle. Unless they used Struggle, of course…

"Lu-Luci," Flara stammered weakly, "do you th-think that shadowy blob over there could be the entrance to… C-Coumarine City?"

"N-no, you stinkin' idiot, Fl-Flara. That's a fucking r-rock formation," came the reply, as blunt and cynical as ever.

Flara's molars clacked together as she shakily took another step forward, her arms wrapped tight around her abdomen in an attempt to retain heat. "Ar-Arceus… we're g-going to d-d-die here…"

"Y-yeah. D-damn those two P-Pokéshifters. I-I mean, what kind of git saves you and then just d-dumps you in the m-middle of the desert to d-die?!" Luci stuttered in a low growl. "I-I m-mean, s-seriously. W-What was their p-problem?"

Luci continued her rant, complaining about everyone and everything, until it faded into monotony. Flara was actually surprised the Lucario Pokéshifter still had enough energy to talk so passionately. Despite usually being the more energetic of the two of them, Flara felt like curling up on the cold hard ground and sleeping until she died.

However, that morbid urge was lost as her chestnut-coloured eyes managed to make out something on the close horizon that was most definitely _not _a rock formation.

Her eyes widened as that small, fleeting flicker appeared once again, proving that it was not a figment of her delirious imagination.

_Is that… Yes, it is! It's gotta be… It has to be…_

"Fiyaaaah!" Flara bellowed so loudly several Diglett shot out of the ground in fright and the nearby rocks cracked as if hit by Hyper Voice. The Flareon Pokéshifter bolted off towards that tiny speck of light flickering in the darkness with one thought occupying her mind.

_Fire… Where there's fire, there's warmth… Where there's fire, there's food… Where there's fire, there's life!_

Flara was barely twenty metres from the flames themselves when someone grasped her by the back of her tank top, yanking her backwards and behind a large hunk of rock. The Flareon Pokéshifter very nearly cried as those beautiful orange-gold wisps of flame disappeared, to be replaced only by shadow.

Luci, still gripping Flara, whispered harshly in her ear, "What in Houndour's realm is wrong with you?! Are you blind, or just stupid? Either way, you obviously didn't see them or you wouldn't have just dashed in like a lunatic!"

"Them…?" Flara repeated questioningly.

"Shut up," Luci snapped, "and listen."

From behind the boulder the Pokéshifter pair had concealed themselves behind, voices and banter wafted on over.

"Magiku, did you hear that?!" The voice was deep, masculine, and somewhat bemused.

"Yup." The reply came amid the unmistakable sounds of crunching and munching, so loud the voice was difficult to decipher. "I heard ith all righth."

"I think someone's out there. They could be friend or foe, but either way, I'm checking it out… After all, you sure don't get many travellers staying out in the badlands at night." The owner of the deep, masculine voice made a grunting noise as he got up. "And Magiku! Stop eating the twigs which feed the fire! How are Azzurro and I supposed to eat if we've got nothing to cook with?"

"I'm onthly takthing a thew!" The second voice was then muffled completely, presumably as the owner stuck another smouldering twig into their mouth. "Mmffmff, mmff mmff mmff mff mmff? Mmmff!"

"Oh, you know what, Magiku? Sometimes I just don't know why I bother…" A sigh emanated from the twig-eater's companion. "I'm just going to survey the area for any danger. Stay here and _don't _eat any more of those twigs."

"Mmmff…"

Flara tried to enter the mindset of a living statue as she heard footsteps vibrating along the ground right past her and Luci's hiding place. The Lucario Pokéshifter shot her a sidelong glare out of hard amber eyes; a warning glance. As if Flara ever needed any death threats from Luci to stop her from opening her mouth.

The redhead didn't even breathe until those footsteps had faded out of earshot. But when she did, she made possibly the most melodramatic show of sucking oxygen into her lungs, as if she was trying to inhale the entire atmosphere.

Luci didn't even have time to smack her before a light pressure could be felt on each of their heads, and a cheery, feminine sing-song voice rang out above them, "Hey, Vernon! They're over here!~" childishly giggling as it did so.

Flara cried out, yelping, as the hand on her head tightened its grip, yanking so hard the Flareon Pokéshifter felt as though her scalp was being peeled right off. Again their captor trilled, "Got 'em by the hair! Ha ha ha!"

"Why you…" Luci grunted. "If I had the PP, I'd knock you straight through the moon and onto the next planet!" However, threats proved futile, as the trilling voice only giggled in response.

By this time, the male known as Vernon had hovered back into view out of the darkness, and this time both Flara and Luci could see his face clearly.

A stern, tight expression locked onto the two Pokéshifters in an intense gaze shot from eyes coloured a green hue as dark and enigmatic as the forest itself. Judging by his tall and well-muscled build, this boy was most likely over sixteen. Shaggy, curly grass-green hair sprouted from his head like a crown of ferns, reaching down to the base of his neck, and constrasting utterly against his dark chocolate-brown skin complexion. He sported a pair of obsidian-black, curved earrings and was clearly dressed for travel, with his thick brown jacket, baggy capris and studded black running trainers.

For reasons not wholly known to her, Flara instantly thought, _Is he Leone's long-lost brother or something? _upon laying eyes on the teenager. Then: _Oh Arceus, why did I think that?! They look nothing alike! Well, not really…_

"Two lone girls, huh? Who are you two, anyway?" Vernon demanded, his serious tone bringing Flara out of her wild philosophy.

"We're- we're- we're from the moon!" Flara garbled thoughtlessly.

That statement, however, did cause their captor to abruptly release her hold on their hair amid a shocked gasp of "No, really?!" leaving Flara and Luci to land face-first into the dust. This time around, Luci actually did manage to slap Flara, so hard that the girl bit her tongue in the process.

"Not really," Luci explained. "We're traveling through the badlands en route to Coumarine City… but we ran out of supplies along the way. My, er, traveling companion here -" she shot a withering look at Flara "- saw your fire and, well, got a bit carried away." A short but awkward silence filled in after that sentence, only to be broken by an equally awkward chuckle from the Lucario Pokéshifter. "Ha ha ha! And yeah, we're here now, so, um… Sorry." She smiled sheepishly, clearly aware of how unconvicing her story sounded.

"That's the biggest load of complete and utter Tauros-shit I've ever heard," remarked the teenager named Vernon. He leaned in closer towards the two girls. "If you two are traveling alone through the badlands without any supplies or even any Pokémon, then, well you can't really be serious, can you? Unless, of course, you're not from around here. Which is true, isn't it? You're not Kalosian, are you?"

Luci's smile widened into a grin which screamed, _Please get me out of here. _"Nope. Ha-ha! You're right! We're both from Sinnoh, and, uh, it's a long story about how we got here…"

"That's fine. I'm not going anywhere in a hurry, so you might as well tell us." Vernon promptly sat down on the cracked desert soil cross-legged, folding his arms in front of his chest expectantly.

Flara and Luci shared a two-second gaze which communicated, _We're well and truly screwed now._

"Ooh!" The sing-song voice again. "Let me hear! I love stories! Especially stories with ghosts and magic!" Quick footwork was heard as the girl dashed from behind the boulder and stopped three feet short of Vernon, almost directly in front of Flara.

The Flareon Pokéshifter stared at the girl, looking her up and down. She could be described as cute, and didn't look much older than ten; probably in her pre-teen years. She was tiny in comparison to Vernon, although her childish smile was ten times as wide as her friend's. The first thing which struck Flara about this girl's appearance was her unnatural heterochromial irises; one deep purple, the other vivid magenta. However, her hair was a scarlet-orange uncannily similar to Flara's, brought into two thin ponytails which reached down to her chin level. Her cheeks were brown with freckles and a single small, perfectly triangular canine stuck out of her mouth, giving a slightly zoic edge to her smile. She wore mainly sporty attire; a bright orange headband, a sleeveless yellow sports top with orange accents, sporty saffron-coloured shorts and white trainers which shone in the nearby firelight.

_No way… Could this be… my own doppelganger!? _Once again, Flara couldn't explain why she felt that way. _No, that's ridiculous, even by my standards… she's way younger than me, and then there are those eyes… _The Flareon Pokéshifter found those mismatched irises rather hypnotic. _Is she a Psychic-Type Pokéshifter or something?_

Luci was just about to open her mouth, but Flara managed to open her own before she did.

"I have just one question before we tell you our story! And that is: Can we have some of your food?"


	19. Chapter 19: When In Lumiose

**Chapter Nineteen: When In Lumiose**

**_THE METROPOLIS KNOWN _****as the **luminous beacon of Kalos was clearly living up to its name - as the majestic centrepiece of the city, Prism Tower, glittered and shone with reflected light even during the daytime. But only Haku seemed to notice this little detail as the trio of Pokéshifters descended, spiralling past the clouds and towards the city at an uncontrollable rate.

_"__H-Haku?" _came Sakura's familiar stutter from directly behind him, as she desperately clutched pawfuls of Latias down, or Haku's fur – anything that she could find purchase on. _"I-Is this… p-part of your p-p-plan?"_

_"__I would say yes," _Haku murmured, retaining an utterly deadpan expression, _"but that would be untruthful. Although, I admit, I should have really forseen this coming…"_

Maddy, who had been wobbling on her wings just minutes earlier (and cursing Haku's name in a fatigued slur), was now dropping like a stone, and the three of them were several seconds from becoming a big multicoloured splat on the terracotta-red brick tiles of the roof just below them.

_"__I-Isn't there any way y-you can w-wake her up?!" _Sakura garbled frantically.

The Absol Pokéshifter gripped his claws into Maddy's back as the wind resistance threatened to throw him off. _"If there was, I would've already tried. Maddy has a unique talent which allows her to sleep like a Rock-Type, even whilst falling from several hundred feet, it seems… but…" _he uttered after a light pause, _"… that doesn't mean there's nothing we can do about it!"_

Haku reared backwards, horn glowing brilliantly as he unleashed a scythe of powerful wind traveling at terminal velocity. The Razor Wind sliced through the roof on contact, opening a gaping hole which allowed Maddy and her passengers to careen through unharmed.

But, of course, some form of crash was inevitable. Maddy took the brunt of the impact, whereas Haku and Sakura had relatively soft landings, but that didn't seem to make the experience any less painful.

Feeling like his skin had transformed into one big bruise, the violet-eyed Pokéshifter scrambled to his feet. He instantly realised that he must've shifted at some point during the fall, though he didn't recall doing so.

_My Super Luck must have finally run out, _he mused as he gazed around the low-ceilinged chamber that they had invited themselves into without the consent of those already inside.

Haku counted twelve pairs of eyes, all of them belonging to humans swathed in sterile white lab coats, and all of them staring right at him with a mixture of shock, confusion, and anger. The Absol Pokéshifter could understand their reactions; after all, if someone had just blasted a hole through the roof and fell down into his own house, he wouldn't be particularly pleased either.

He got up, ignoring the pain rupturing from his various injuries, and began to casually brush out the creases from his jacket and trousers. He passed his gaze over every occupant of the room in turn, analysing them as best he could so as to formulate the appropriate plan. He analysed his surroundings as well, searching for anything that could be used to his advantage should the situation turn sour.

Hi-tech equipment filled every corner of the lab; odd instruments with vibrant multicoloured readouts shown with rapidly revolving, undulating lines, and a labyrinth of wires coated the ceiling. Pokémon were in abundance too – a Squirtle sat atop a table just five feet from where Haku was standing looked up momentarily before his attention was brought back to his food bowl once again. The little Water-Type said nothing other than a muffled _"Om nom nom" _sound. Posters of Pokémon diagrams and various research data also littered the lab walls, almost fully covering the royal-blue wallpaper. But the only potential exit Haku could see was the steel double doors of a lift several metres away - and the route was blocked by several scientists.

_If this situation takes a sour turn, I might have to…_

A trembling, warm body was felt at Haku's back, alerting the Pokéshifter to Sakura's presence. The Zoroark Pokéshifter was using him as a living shield to hide herself with, as if she were afraid that if just one of the scientists beheld her she would burst into flames. Haku's mouth twitched slightly in annoyance at the contact, but he said nothing. _I don't think I'll tell her just yet. She doesn't need to know. At least not at this point…_

What bothered him more was the status of Maddy. The Latias Pokéshifter lay, clearly unconscious, across the floor, and unlike Haku and Sakura, had not managed to shift during the fall.

Haku gazed at her guiltily. _It's my fault that we ended up like this, and mine alone. _After passing out on Maddy's back during the journey, Haku had envisioned a disaster dream which had unsettled him almost as much as his last. In the vision, he, Sakura and Maddy were struck down by a bolt of lightning so intense that half of Haku's fur had burnt off – and he could still recall the sensation. After hearing rumbles of thunder in the distance, Haku had urged Maddy to sprint in order to outrun (or, in this case, outfly) the storm, but as a result she had quite literally crashed from exhaustion. _I was only trying to prevent yet another macabre prophecy from being realised, but in the end it resulted in our literal downfall. Arceus. If only my disaster dreams were easier to deduce. In fact, they're about the only things I _can't _deduce._

He suspected the worst for an excruciating moment, but then a snore worthy of a Snorlax snoring championship emanated from her snout. Haku breathed a silent sigh of relief.

But he knew he was far from being safe just yet.

"Who are you?"

Violet irises snapped back to the problem at hand. It seemed one of the scientists had regained enough of their composure to speak again.

The man who had spoken stepped forward. Strangely enough, his tone was neither angry nor demanding; he simply spoke by way of greeting. As Haku gazed at him, he saw curiousity brimming within bright blue eyes, but not a hint of annoyance towards the person who had pretty much single-handedly demolished his laboratory. A welcoming smile was pasted onto his face between two sets of whisker-like markings adorning his cheeks. He wore a lab coat, just like the other scientists, but seemed to have his own fashionable way of wearing it. Everything from the way he held himself, to his glossy black hair, to everything else on or around his person, enabled Haku to analyse him down to the core. In a heartbeat, he could glean that this scientist was both a habitual flirt and a Pokémon fanatic; very knowledgable, very curious, and very adventurous. He was also the top Growlithe around here - that much was obvious to Haku.

Still, there was something about this Pokémon scientist which Haku couldn't quite fathom. It made him feel strangely and uncharacteristically jittery. _Could this be what they call in Kalos the _"je ne sais quoi"_…? Or is it just that… those markings on his face…_

Haku only just managed to contain the guilt which racked him as an image of Frinos appeared superimposed over his vision once again, with those uncannily similar whisker-like markings. However, he quickly supressed that emotion and thrust the image to the furthest corner of his mind.

Aware of how long a pause he'd left inbetween the question and his response, Haku finally uttered, "My name is Haku. I am the Trainer of this Latias." Gesturing towards Maddy and then to Sakura, he continued: "This is my younger cousin, and she travelled with me from Sinnoh. But she doesn't own any Pokémon herself."

Sakura made an odd noise, as if she were a punctured balloon gradually leaking air into the atmosphere. Haku gritted his teeth and stared at the black-haired scientist, awaiting his response.

For once, Haku was mildly surprised when the man's smile widened and he offered his hand to shake with a flourish. "_Ah, oui! Bonjour, _Haku! My name is Augustine Sycamore. I am the Kalos region's very own Pokémon Professor! _Beinvenue._"

Haku warily took the proferred hand, slipping it out of the professor's grip and brushing it against his jacket almost immediately after he made contact.

Sycamore seemed almost amused by Haku's paranoid behaviour, but said nothing.

"So you're _the _Professor Sycamore of the Kalos region? That's interesting. I recall reading an article about you once. It mentioned a phenomenon known as Mega Evolution."

A split-second glimmer of light glowed within the professor's irises at the phrase "Mega Evolution". "Ah! You have heard of me, then? Might I ask who this article was written by? Could it have been Professor Rowan, the Pokémon Professor of your own region? I once worked alongside him – as, after all, we both study Pokémon evolution."

"That is correct," Haku replied. _And little do you know, but I'm not actually originally from Sinnoh. _He casually glanced around. _"Et cela est votre laboratoire_?"

"You can speak Kalosian? _Très bien! _But to answer your question, yes, it is my laboratory. Although you seem to have damaged it quite substantially, _n'est-ce pas_? Would you mind explaining how you came to crash down through two storeys along with your cousin and a legendary Pokémon?"

_Now here comes the difficult part. _Haku was surprised at how easy Professor Sycamore was taking this; he half-expected him to go on a Gyarados-style rampage in utter frustration at the destruction of his property. _His smile is suspicious. And those other scientists aren't even intervening… _In fact, they just stood, frozen, as if in stasis, simply gawking. Their eyes were the only body parts which moved.

"I can explain everything, Professor. As my Latias flew over Lumiose City, we were attacked whilst airbourne by a Sky Trainer who was possibly after my Pokémon. As a result of the blow, she suffered an injury which left her unconscious, and her left wing is now badly broken. She needs immediate medical attention from a Pokémon Centre. I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you – honestly, if I had the PokéDollars, I would compensate you immediately, but-"

"Oh, _non, non, non_!" Sycamore chuckled dismissively. "Haku, that doesn't bother me in the least. I am more concerned about your Latias. I think you should take her to the Pokémon Centre immediately. Take the lift and there will be one practically opposite the lab as you exit, just to the left of Vernal Avenue."

Haku blinked. "But-"

"But what? My lab is trivial compared to the life of your Latias; after all, it can be repaired. And if you still wish to compensate me, then you can work here. You don't have to give me any money at all, just help me with my research." Sycamore winked after that sentence in a way which was probably intended to be friendly, but Haku didn't interpret it that way.

He awkwardly manoeuvred himself over to Maddy's slumbering body, and picked her up with some difficulty. He attempted to hide the Pokéshifter's left wing from view so that the scientists, observant as they were, wouldn't clock that it was as perky as ever and clearly not broken. Sakura was still clinging to him as he boarded the lift.

But just before the steel doors were due to close around them, Haku noticed the other scientists abruptly snap out of their stupor, as if electrified. One pulled Professor Sycamore over and, although they spoke in hushed voices, Haku could still decode what they were saying through the art of lip-reading - yet another of his many talents.

"Professor, did you just see that?" the scientist asked. She appeared nervous; fiddling with her scrunchie as if it were a plaything.

Sycamore nodded in response, but then the two cerulean orbs of his eyes swivelled to directly behold Haku. Those eyes were glittering once again, fiercer than ever, as if there were LEDs blinking in his retina. What he spoke was quieter than a whisper, but Haku saw it roll off his lips, clear as glass.

"Pokéshifters… _Très bien._"

* * *

Cyllage City was much bigger than Hydrus had originally assumed; it was far larger than the colourful blur streaking the coastline which he had seen from the deck of the ship as they came in to the harbour. And apparently, its Pokémon Centre was impossible to find.

The Swampert Pokéshifter had tried everything. He'd even done the unthinkable by asking for directions, but it appeared that Kalosians used directions differently than in Unova, Hoenn or Sinnoh – it didn't matter who he asked; he always ended up at some sort of building which didn't even remotely resemble a Pokémon Centre.

And so, after almost getting sliced in half by a peloton of speeding cyclists and hiking up and down the cliff a total of three times, Hydrus eventually collapsed into a bench situated at the seafront, overlooking Cyllage's sandbars, which glittered in the fading sunlight like red-gold dust.

"Dammit, Arceus," he muttered, as he watched a fluttering red-breasted cloud of those tiny birdlike Pokémon known as Fletchling dance aerobatically in the sky above his head. "What do I have to do to find a fucking Pokémon Centre…?"

The Fletchling had no answer other than the occaisional mocking _cheep-cheep. _However, Hydrus actually found their lilting song rather relaxing to listen to, and before he knew it, his eyelids were drooping shut.

Hydrus's unconscious transition felt like it had lasted less than thirty seconds, but must've been longer as the sea had changed from red-streaked indigo to obsidian black and his bench was flooded in a pool of yellowish light from the nearest streetlamp.

But that wasn't even the first thing he noticed upon waking up. The terrible screech of rubber on tarmac filled his ears and caused Hydrus to almost topple from his seating position. Instead, he jumped bolt upright just in time to see a dark van hurtle out onto the seafront. Clearly out of control, the van very nearly tipped into the ocean before cruising past Hydrus, and then exploded altogether.

It didn't explode in the same way as in an epic movie stunt, however. As the van rumbled along, one side of the vehicle completely erupted in a blast of electric-yellow light and a fireworks display of sparks. Recognising the move as Thunderbolt, Hydrus immediately yelped and dived underneath his bench for cover.

Crawling into a foetal curl, Hydrus hugged his knees and gritted his teeth, desperately wanting to believe that the wood of the bench above him could truly shield against a powerful Electric-Type attack.

_Electricity… don't get near me… stay away… Please… _Hydrus's feverish thoughts repeated over and over in his fear-stricken mind, the adrenaline rushing through his viens causing him to sweat and shiver uncontrollably.

After the resounding crash of the explosion and the dull thud of the van keeling over onto the pavement, Hydrus heard footsteps across the road, insistent and loud. And they were rapidly approaching Hydrus's hiding place.

And with them came a voice, equally loud and very irritable. "Arceus. They just don't quit! But what's their problem, anyway? What do they even _want _with me?"

The Swampert Pokéshifter now had his eyes clamped shut tighter than the shell of a sleeping Clamperl, his phobia taking complete control of him. All whilst a voice deep within his mind chided him mockingly: _You're a fucking Ground-Type, for Arceus's sake! How _can _you be scared of a little electricity? It can't even hurt you!_

_No, _Hydrus protested to his own inner voice, _it can hurt me. It can, and it did, and…_

"Hey. You. I don't know if you're from around here, but it seems to me it ain't common practice to be sleeping under benches."

It was that same voice, but the annoyance held within it seemed to have been replaced by curiosity. Hydrus promptly opened his eyes for a fraction of a second.

He saw hardly anything of the face which greeted him in that split second, but for the oddly vibrant radioactive-green eyes which stared out at him in confusion, and the ears.

The ears weren't human. They stuck outwards and upwards very prominently, flashing colours of yellow and brown. They were unmistakably the ears of a Raichu.

_Raichu… _Pain exploded in Hydrus's left forearm, radiating outwards from just beneath his elbow. It was so excruciating, it wiped all other thoughts from his mind, but for the memory. The memory returned to him very suddenly as he envisioned a tall, imposing Raichu Pokéshifter towering above his much frailer, younger form, a smirk plastered onto the Electric-Type's face and his lackeys, a Manectric and an Electabuzz, flanking their boss.

_"__Look, a poor widdle Mudkip, looking for his pond. Might as well kick you back to the sludge from which you came from!"_

_"__Please… no…" Hydrus murmured weakly. "I… I didn't mean to… I didn't… I…" His mouth and throat hurt too much to talk. He lay sprawled on the tiled backstreets of Slateport City, his body covered in bruises and shaking with static electricity from the swift kicks and the electrified punches dealt him by the Manectric and Electabuzz Pokéshifters, but he knew they were still only toying with him. At least up to now._

_"__Eh? What's that?" The Raichu Pokéshifter asked with mock concern as the sole of his boot collided with Hydrus's stomach, knocking all the air out of his body. "I can't hear you, Mudkip boy – you need to speak louder! Crying for your mummy, are you? Well then, I'll send you back to her with a little gift from me! It would only be kind. After all, it's what we give to anyone who's foolish enough to enter the territory of the Static Spark Gang!"_

_And then, the Thunderbolt was unleashed in a single, terrible blast of light and electricity._

The pain Hydrus had felt back then was redrafted onto his present-day body as he relived that moment, that moment which had given him a reason to fear electricity. That moment which had left a scar upon not just his forearm but upon his memory.

He never heard himself scream. He never felt himself shift. But he knew he had done so, as he was suddenly in Swampert form, bellowing his throat out.

He didn't even remember using Mud Bomb, but he must've done so, as a pool of bubbling-hot beige-brownish mud now lay between himself and his apparent assailant.

The Raichu-eared boy himself had backpedalled almost to the row of houses behind the boulevard, and was gazing at him warily. "Whoa… No need for all that, big guy. I'm the one who's meant to shock people around here." He ended his sentence with a nervous grin.

Hydrus's fins retracted into his body and his skin morphed to take on a humanoid shape once again. He stood, shooting the other boy a glowering glance of fear-fuelled flames. "That isn't funny," he growled.

Raichu-Ears's smile widened even further as he shoved his hands awkwardly into his trouser pockets. "You're right! It isn't! Worst pun I ever made! But I'll tell ya what is, though!" His cheeks puffed out as he held in a chortle. "You, my friend, are _hilarious_!" he guffawed. "You just made that bench explode by lying underneath it and shifting into a Swampert! Ahh… Wish I had a camera…"

"What…?" Hydrus muttered, a small portion of his anger dissapating into confusion. But a quick glance around told him that the bench he'd used as somewhat ineffective cover had indeed been blasted outwards; shreds of chestnut-coloured wood littered the tiles and tarmac of the boulevard, and scattered around Hydrus's feet were the last remnants of what had once been a perfectly sound bench. _Arceus. I don't know my own strength sometimes… _Reaching up, the Swampert Pokéshifter plucked a small splinter from his dark locks and flicked it away.

His eyes turned warily back to the boy he assumed to be a Raichu Pokéshifter. Those unnatural neon-green eyes met his own, a sheepish smile filling the entire lower half of his face.

The Raichu-eared boy was diminutive in comparison to Hydrus, and seemed to be younger than him, too. A plasma globe of spiky lightning-yellow hair coated his scalp, complete with a pair of bangs which reached the base of his neck and had two distinctive brown streaks on the sides. Those unmistakable Raichu ears protruded from his temples, the left one pierced with a crome-silver ring. The boy also possessed a long, S-shaped Raichu tail which undulated up to his shoulder level, with four silver bands fitted around the middle. Freckles covered his nose and cheeks just below the eyes. Hydrus could also see that he possessed two elongated upper canines which appeared to fit in his mouth quite snugly despite their size. He wore a cropped, dark brown jacket emblazoned with a lightning bolt at the chest, and a bright yellow shirt underneath it. His black baggy cargo trousers were held up with a silver chain belt, and his black-and-red trainers were battered and well-worn; the boy's big toe was visible through a hole in one shoe.

"Who are you?" Hydrus asked demandingly, holding his gaze with a glare of enmity that would've impressed an Arbok.

The Raichu Pokéshifter still seemed wary, but his smile widened even further as he chuckled. "Thought you'd never ask! Well, you should feel honoured that you were ever able to meet the awesomeness that is Jace Sandrey… in other words, me!" He thrust his thumb towards his chest.

As Hydrus looked on disapprovingly, Jace continued. "What's with that look, big guy?" he inquired tauntingly. "I ain't scared of an oversized Ground-Type like you!"

"Is that so?" Hydrus uttered, attempting to hide his fear. "Did you, by any chance, see what I did to that bench? And I wasn't even trying. I could easily do the same to you."

Jace's grin did not waver. In fact, it widened. "Well, did _you_, by any chance, see what I did to that van over there?" He pointed toward the still-smoking shell of electrified metal a mere hundred metres from where the two of them were standing. He stepped forward, static electricity dancing about his tail and fingertips. Jace smiled as he saw Hydrus step innately backwards. "That's right. I'm a Raichu Pokéshifter. Does that scare you, eh, Swampert guy? You're pretty funny. In fact, you're hilarious!" He threw back his head in a guffaw akin to that of maniacal scientist. "Whoever knew a Ground-Type could be 'fraid of a little electricity?!" Coughing, he doubled over from laughter, his breath almost utterly spent. "That's… you're… h-hysterical! Ha!"

_This guy is absolutely insane, _Hydrus realised. He wanted nothing more than to escape from this Jace character at that point in time, but he had few options. He could jump into the sea and swim all the way back to Sinnoh if he had to, but he knew that would amount to nothing. And he was almost too afraid to move.

Jace met Hydrus's gaze once again. "So, tell me, big guy. Why were you hidin' under that bench? Scared? Or are you just homeless?"

_I _am_ actually homeless, but that's no concern of yours, _Jace. "Don't ask me questions!" he yelled in answer. "You… you answer mine, okay!? Now, tell me why you were in that van!" Hydrus's fear and apprehension was emphasised on every word.

The Raichu Pokéshifter was simply amused. He folded his arms across his chest and smiled smugly. "You tellin' me what to do? Well, your loss there, mate. The Supreme Lord of Thunder and Awesomeness doesn't take orders from no-one. I'm my own Pokéshifter, after all; a free sprit, as they say."

Suddenly, Jace's facial features creased into a hard, angry frown. "But _don't _act like you're the boss of me. That ain't funny at all. You've got it comin' right to ya if you don't give me the respect I deserve."

He approached, the boiling mud of Hydrus's previous Mud Bomb lapping up at his trainers - but it didn't appear to bother the Raichu Pokéshifter.

Hydrus blinked, backing away. _Arceus, that was an abrupt mood shift… _His steps took him to the lip of the seafront, where the boulevard ended and the ocean began. _Diving in sounds pretty good right about now. _But Hydrus could tell that the water was shallow at the shoreline, and diving in would most likely earn him a faceful of wet sand. But then again, that sounded a lot better than having to battle that egotistical Raichu Pokéshifter who might loose another Thunderbolt at him any second.

_Honestly, what did I ever to do a Raichu Pokéshifter? They all seem to hate me for some reason…_

The black-haired Swampert Pokéshifter was a picosecond from catapulting himself into the water when Jace gripped his forearm tighter than Vicegrip. Hydrus flinched at the contact, even as he noticed the static sparks traveling up his arm didn't cause him any pain; or any sensation at all, for that matter.

All the smugness and anger had drained from Jace's eyes and mouth, replaced by a tight expression which Hydrus found difficult to read. "Hear that?" he muttered.

_Hear what? _But he never needed to ask that question, as the answer was obvious.

The roar of a vehicle's engine blasted both Pokéshifters' eardrums as two glaringly white headlamps simultaneously swam into view, branding Hydrus's retinas with an intense afterimage.

Yet another van had appeared, and it was traveling at an insane speed – and, of course, it was on a collision course with Hydrus and Jace.

Instead of dodging to the side as any sane person would, Jace instead yanked Hydrus by the arm, pulling him into the centre of the road with surprising strength for his size and shooting off like a bullet.

"L-let go of me!" Hydrus hollered as they streaked past the destroyed van, leaving in behind in a blur. "I don't want to be involved in any of your crazy shit!"

"Too bad!" Jace yelled back. The manic grin was back on his face, and it was wider than ever. "You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, buddy!"

The Swampert Pokéshifter was going at a far greater speed than he was used to. His eyes watered over, making his vision even more blurry, and his arm was practically being wrenched out of its socket.

The insistent rumbling of tyres could be heard a mere metre behind Hydrus's heels. He swivelled his orange irises to face the van itself, as if to check if this was his unfortunate reality or just another messed-up nightmare.

That was a total mistake.

* * *

Tributes

-Jace the Raichu Pokeshifter created by brigitoes


	20. Chapter 20: Atomic Bombshell

**Chapter Twenty: Atomic Bombshell**

**_WITH HIS CHEEK _****throbbing and **the slight chill still penetrating to his bone marrow, Frinos sat with a rather disgruntled expression on his face, which was partially concealed by a thick knitted cyan scarf of Mareep wool.

He stared unblinkingly at the half-demolished rice ball sitting rather sadly in the centre of his plate, before scooping it up and practically pouring it into his mouth, swallowing without chewing. The Glaceon Pokéshifter then shot Koumori a reproachful glance. "Did you _have _to eat all of my food?"

The Crobat Pokéshifter shrugged casually. "Well… I didn't _have _to. But I was hungry, it was there, and you didn't say I couldn't-"

"I was unconscious, you bastard. Because _you _knocked me out." He averted his gaze from Koumori; he still found that he couldn't meet the taller boy's eyes without feeling intimidated. "You owe me a tub of ice cream," he muttered, and then added, "Two tubs, actually. For being such an arse."

Koumori answered that with a snort of cynical laughter. "You really don't get it, do you?"

Frinos glanced up, his confusion and irritation showing on his face. "Don't get what?"

It was at that point that Asuka interjected. For such a bubbly and loud young girl, she had remained in an awkward silence for the duration of the conversation so far, casting wary glances at each of the two male Pokéshifters. But now she spoke, her voice sounding as sheepish as her facial expression. "Did… did Koumori really not tell you? Back in the forest, he saved us from Genmi."

The Glaceon Pokéshifter simply stared at Koumori, his face slackened and his mouth agape. "What…?" he mouthed.

"Believe it if you want to, Iceboy. But those goons were hot on your tails, and since I happened to be in the vicinity, I stepped in and took you out before they could." Koumori's mouth twisted in a sarcastic smile. "And look at the thanks I get for all I did for you. You tried to freeze me with one of your little Ice-Type tricks. It's a good thing my signature move takes a while to recharge, or you'd probably still be slumped on that bed, wrapped in gauze, with my venom flowing through your viens." He indicated Asuka with a gesture of his head. "Also, I didn't particularly want her to see what would happen next."

As Frinos glanced over at the Espeon Pokéshifter for confirmation, she nodded solemnly. "It's true, Frinos."

"Then why did you have to-"

Once again, Koumori answered his sentence without him finishing it, and his smile simultaneously widened, annoying Frinos ever further. "Well, Glacie-boy, imagine this. Let's say you're in immediate danger of being 'Shifternapped by a bunch of thugs – but you don't know it. Then, a figure suddenly materialises out of the shadows and asks for you to follow him as he says your freedom is at stake and whatnot. This person obviously looks suspicious. So what do you do?"

Frinos declined to answer. He figured that he didn't need to.

"Exactly," Koumori responded to Frinos's silence. "You don't go along with him, as he seems way too suspicious, am I right?" Without waiting for an answer, the Crobat Pokeshifter hastily continued. "The precious time that you would've wasted contemplating whether to trust this shady individual or not would've allowed your pursuers to get the perfect jump on you. It was much simpler, from my perspective, to simply knock the two of you out and drag you to my modest hideout. Which is, of course, here."

Koumori indicated the room around him, which was just as cluttered as the bedroom Frinos had awoken in, but also featured a large table in the centre. The surface of said table could barely be seen beneath the stacked piles of books, ornamental decorations, and various other junk; empty Poké Balls, Great Balls and Ultra Balls; all types, shapes and colours of stationery; and a few tightly screwed-up balls of paper with just-comprehensible symbols etched onto them which Frinos recognised as musical notes. Four bookshelves, which Frinos could practically hear groaning under the weight of their paperback and hardback burdens, were situated within the room, one on each wall. The actual function of this room was not obvious, though Frinos could hazard a guess that Koumori probably used it as a dual dining room/lounge. A small chintz armchair was stuffed into one corner, a grubby keyboard into another.

The Ice-Type shifted on his seat in an attempt to sit more comfortably, but the chairs ringing the central table were obviously ancient – creaking with the slightest redistribution of weight and so full of splinters they might as well have had the Iron Barbs Ability.

_Modest? Even that's not the right word to describe this place, _Frinos mused, but he didn't comment on it. There were other things occupying his mind.

"Yeah, so I get it. You have a really odd way of helping others out. But what about that kid you poisoned, huh? The little, innocent Vulpix Pokéshifter? You didn't seem to be protecting her."

"You must be mistaken," Koumori replied smoothly. "I've never harmed any Vulpix Pokéshifter. I don't think I ever recall meeting one."

Frinos himself snorted sarcastically that time. "Yeah, well maybe you're the one who can read minds, but even a humble, dim-witted Glaceon Pokéshifter like me who's clearly nothing special can still tell that what you just said is nothing less than a big fat lie."

"Go on believing that if you want to. I don't mind."

_Holy Arceus. I can't stand this guy… and there aren't a lot of people who I can't stand… _Frinos continued to glare at the Crobat Pokéshifter, his gaze becoming frostier with every second; like a true Ice-Type.

"Whatever. Actually, I don't care if you did it or not. I just hope that kid's safe. But if you could do something so horrible, then why choose to save me and Asuka?" Frinos didn't blink once throughout his speech. His usually warm chestnut eyes were now frigid; as if his corneas had frozen over.

"I've already told you; I've never hurt any Vulpix Pokéshifter. Though I don't suppose repeating that fact will make you any more likely to believe it," Koumori responded calmly, though a hint of slight exasperation could be heard within his voice. "And I've already told you the answer to that question, too. I saved you and Asuka because, although you refuse to believe it, I'm a real nice guy. And I happened to be in that forest when Genmi were just about to pounce."

Frinos's suspicious glare never wavered. "Sure. But why were you there, anyway?"

The Crobat Pokéshifter made a humming sound deep within his throat. "I had some business to attend to."

"What kind of business?"

"Busy business." Koumori flashed a playful smirk.

Frinos very nearly lost his temper, but just managed to keep it in check. Just. _I give up, _he relented, _this guy really is a creepier version of Haku. He'll only give up his secrets when he's ready._

He suddenly remembered the view he had seen from the bed Koumori had dumped him on; of a paved street, a canal, and of old-fashioned streetlamps lining the road. "Where… where are we, anyway? This isn't Eterna City…"

"You're right," Koumori interrupted, "it isn't. Welcome to my humble base of operations; namely, a small flat on the western side of Canalave City."

The Glaceon Pokéshifter again stared at Koumori, but this time in disbelief and something resembling awe. "You… you took us two… all the way to Canalave from the forest around Mt Coronet…? How in Arceus's realm did you manage _that_?!" he spluttered.

"I have my methods," Koumori stated, casually avoiding the question.

_And I suppose he'll never tell me them, _Frinos thought, internally sighing. He had calmed somewhat, his glare having thawed slightly, but he still wasn't about to trust this Crobat Pokéshifter with a soggy Poffin. There was something dubious about him. Something suspicious. And there was a whole lot more he had left unexplained. Frinos had practically one hundred questions that he wanted answers to, but he doubted they'd be given willingly.

The azure-haired Pokéshifter shifted in his seat, wincing as a splinter drove into the flesh just beneath his coccyx. He was almost afraid of how Koumori would react to his next question, but he decided to take a Final Gambit and ask it anyway. But he carefully phrased his sentences, just to be sure.

"Koumori… I don't suppose… you'd mind if Asuka and I made our way back to Mt Coronet? We've got people there who are probably worried about us and-"

"I know." Koumori smirked in that irritating, knowing way of his. "By the way, this development is interesting," he continued, purplish eyebrows arching, "as that's the most polite sentence you've said to me so far. Perhaps the Ice Prince is thawing out a little."

"Shut up," Frinos growled defensively, but within, the adrenalin was gushing through his viens at a phenomenal rate. Koumori's gaze was devious. _What is this guy thinking?_

The Crobat Pokéshifter made an amused noise. "You know…" he uttered slowly, speaking in a way which made it clear he believed he had some sort of weapon in his arsenal which gave him the upper wing, "I saved your life back in that forest. Or your freedom, at least. Either way, I haven't heard so much as an inkling of gratitude out of you."

Frinos felt a chill ripple across his skin. _What… what's he planning…? _"Er… thanks…?" he mumbled awkwardly.

Koumori chortled, clapping ironically. "That's all well and good saying that now, isn't it, Frinos Rayong? You should have said that first. And if you had so much as a shred of gratitude within your heart, you would have done so." He leaned across the table so far that only a dusty, broken picture frame stood between himself and Frinos. "You seem like a pretty honourable, loyal guy, Frinos. And tell you what. I'll forget all about every rude remark you sent my way, every ungrateful glare… I'll even forget that false accusation about that Vulpix Pokéshifter."

Frinos stared right at him, not believing it. _He's leading me into some sort of trap. I can feel it. _So he sat tensely, not doing anything, not saying anything.

"But…"

_Of course. There's a catch. I knew it._

"But only if you agree to pledge your freedom to me for as long as you live. The way I see it, it's only fair. After all, I saved you from being captured by Genmi. I got to you before they did, smuggled you away under cover of darkness. I feel as though I should get something in return for my troubles… So why don't you hand over to me the very thing I gave back to you? That would be a fair exchange, no?"

_Pledge my… freedom…? _Frinos's eyes widened as he realised what that meant. _No… surely he doesn't mean…_

"Yes, Frinos," Koumori confirmed, his smirk widening. "You belong to me. Heart and soul." He reached over and patted Frinos almost affectionately on the head, as if he were Koumori's Pokémon partner. "Aww. I've always wanted a slave of my own, and now I've finally got one! You'll have to address me as "Master" from now on. And make me a cup of green tea whenever I feel like it… and cook me beef teriyaki with boiled rice and aubergine… Oh, and I can even be your Pokémon Trainer. You can fight for me in battles, do all my dirty work. And you can clean the house, too. I don't think that job would take you particularly long, eh?"

Koumori's fingers were still weaving through Frinos's nest of messy cerulean locks. He wanted to yell _"Get off!" _or _"Stop that!" _but the words completely stuck in his throat halfway up to his mouth. What he did manage to squeak out was: "Are… are you really serious…?"

At that, the tall Crobat Pokéshifter guffawed. "Holy Arceus," he spluttered, "I don't think I've ever been more serious in my life!"

Abruptly, Asuka, who had since her last interjection been watching the exchange with a mixture of anxiety and awkwardness, burst out laughing along with Koumori.

Frinos's gaze immediately shot towards her. "Asuka…"

"Sorry, Frinos," she giggled, suddenly bouncing back to her usual, bubbly self. "But you _have _to see the look on your face right now! It…" She covered her lower face with her hand as another wave of laughter racked her body.

"Ugh…" Frinos groaned, finally relenting. "Joke's on me… ha ha ha. Very funny." He lowered his head to the table submissively. _Dammit, Arceus. I really, really, really wish Haku were here… Jeez. Looks like I can't even last a week without him._

"So, to answer your question," Koumori announced, "no, I'm afraid you can't go back to your friends at Mt Coronet. You're going to stay right here with me." It was only then, after he had finished speaking, that he finally decided to withdraw his hand from Frinos's hair.

"Hey, it's not so bad, Frinos," Asuka consoled optimistically. "After all, we're still together, aren't we? And at least we're away from Snakeface and bossy old Jean."

Frinos almost sighed when he heard that. _Unlike you, Asuka, I actually cared about Snakeface and bossy old Jean. Arceus knows what they're doing now. _He suddenly recalled the Ekans Pokéshifter's face; with her piercing, snakelike golden eyes and cascading locks of violet hair. _Speaking of Naomi… she still hasn't forgiven me for that incident…_

"Why are you taking his side?" Frinos asked, his voice slightly muffled through his concealing screen of hair.

It was Koumori who answered. "Asuka knows more about me than you do. Also, she's a smart kid, which is more than can be said for you, Iceboy."

"Yeah!" the mauve-haired Psychic-Type trilled proudly. "I also know that he's –"

"Shh," chastised Koumori.

Even though he couldn't see her, Frinos somehow knew Asuka was pouting. "Meanie," she grumbled. But a few seconds after that retort, she suddenly sprang back up, announcing: "Oh! I just remembered something!"

This peaked Frinos's curiosity enough for him to raise his vision. "What is it, Asuka?"

"Um…" The girl cast her magenta eyes around the cluttered table searchingly. Once she had found her quarry, she gave a short yelp of triumph and gathered it up in her hands.

It appeared to be a large, leather-bound folder stuffed to the brim with papers. However, that wasn't all it was. As Asuka turned the folder around so that Frinos could see it, his eyes grew to twice their usual width.

Emblazoned onto the folder was a capital G. However, it looked nothing like the Genmi logo; it was golden-yellow, for a start, and had a jagged edge unlike the symbol of that anti-Pokéshifter organisation.

"That symbol… isn't it…?"

"The Team Galactic crest," filled in Koumori, casual as ever.

"Wow," Asuka muttered. "How did you get this, Koumori? I mean, I've heard of Team Galactic before, but I never-"

"You've read it already, haven't you?"

"Yes," Asuka admitted, almost sheepishly. "Sorry. I know I'm not supposed to go poking through other people's things, but I just found it under a pile of books, and I was bored, and I was curious, and-"

"That's okay." Koumori's mischievous smirk was back. "It's a secret I'm willing to share. And now that you know, I suppose it's only fair that His Iciness is told the story as well." He grasped the folder from Asuka's fingertips and, with a deft flick of his wrist, tossed it over to Frinos. The blue-haired Pokéshifter barely caught it in time.

He was almost afraid to open it; it was likely he was about to be humiliated for a second time. _But then again, I'm already his slave. How much worse can it really get? _Besides, he had to admit, he was curious. What was Koumori doing with a folder that had obviously once belonged to Team Galactic? And what did it contain?

Frinos unbuttoned the folder, stuck in his hand and withdrew a wad of documents from within. He adjusted his glasses upon his nose as he read.

**CONFIDENTIAL – Top-Secret Intelligence Report of Team Galactic**

To all members, Grunts and Commanders alike.

I, Saturn, Boss of Team Galactic, have enclosed the following report for intelligence purposes.

Recently, we had received intelligence that a strange establishment, for which the ultimate purpose is largely unknown, was situated on the higher, more concealed slopes of Mt Coronet. At first appearance, this establishment seemed to be a very extravagant boarding school. However, our team in the field managed to confirm that this "school" housed a number of people, mainly teenagers, all of which were able to transform into Legendary Pokémon.

Our primary goal then became the successful capture of these strange "Pokéshifters", as they called themselves. We attempted to utilise the newest technology from our lab in Vielstone City in order to deliver the school back to HQ without harming any valuable research material. However, the SMTD (Super-Massive Teleportation Device) which we used was only a prototype, and therefore prone to error. As it happened, instead of teleporting to the landing dock at HQ, the target was relocated to the peak of Mt Coronet.

A response team was then ordered up to the summit of Spear Pillar along with myself. But by that time the Pokéshifters had realised what was happening to them, and we were hardly prepared for their retaliation.

There was clearly no contest as to who would emerge the victor. It seemed unlikely that we would get away with even our lives. And so, in order to preserve the safety and reputation of Team Galactic, as much as it was, I initiated a Plan B. As a Last Resort, I ordered the most powerful bomb in our arsenal to be detonated right on the same soil that Commander Cyrus had once stood as he summoned the Legendary Pokémon Palkia and Dialga from an alternate dimension into our own. This bomb, as you all well know, was powered by energy from the Orbs of the two aforementioned Legendary Pokémon, and had enough explosive power to rent the time-space fabric of Spear Pillar. I used the bomb with the full knowledge that the entire area would be cast into an alternate dimension, and like as not the Pokéshifters would not survive the transition. Nevertheless, I made this sacrifice in order to avoid the repercussions in regards to these Legendary Pokéshifters; there would be too much at stake if they were left alive and free. After detonating the bomb, all personnel but for a stand-by backup team were ordered to evacuate back to HQ.

However, the explosion, as I have been informed, was intercepted by three Pokéshifters. Among them was a Giratina Pokéshifter, who managed to open a portal to the Distortion World just before the bomb detonated, sealing herself and her two allies within the parallel dimension. Their status remains unknown.

The current status and location of the school is also unknown. When a reconnaissance team was dispatched to assess the situation, there was found to be no trace of either the bomb or the school. The mission was a complete failure. These strange Pokéshifters, and whatever knowledge they have, are now completely lost to us.

This report will be the last you will receive from me as your Galactic Boss, for I am resigning. I am uncertain about the future of Team Galactic as it stands, and although I fear the team will inevitably disband without its leader, I feel as though this is the appropriate choice. This organisation has experienced one failure too many, and we are the laughing stock of Sinnoh. I may not have needed to remind you of that, fellow Team Galactic members.

Sincerely,

Team Galactic Boss Saturn

Frinos shook his head as he glanced up from reading. "How did you…"

"That's exactly what I want to know!" Asuka interjected. "How'd you get it, Koumori?"

For a moment, Frinos was certain that the Crobat Pokéshifter would either avoid or refuse to answer Asuka's question. But instead, he replied, rather complacently: "In case you're wondering if I was ever affiliated with Team Galactic-" he gestured accusingly at Frinos "-I'll clear it up for you. Asuka already knows this, but I work as a bounty hunter for a living. About a month ago, I had received a job from a client to track down and capture a notorious Pokémon poacher who operated in the area in and around Lake Valour. I learned later, after I had incapacitated him, that he was in fact a former member of Team Galactic. He didn't tell me this directly, of course. He was out like a Snorlax. But it became obvious once I had searched his belongings. It was then that I found the documents. I found them intriguing, and so I kept them. Plus, I usually collect some sort of valuable item from each target… as a souvenir of the mission, I guess you could say." He indicated the odd assortment of junk littering the room; everything from lucky charms and talismans to Poké Balls and articles of clothing.

"Ah," muttered Asuka, nodding.

Frinos sighed. As Asuka now pretty much believed Koumori's tale, it wasn't like he could openly oppose it. It was plausible, but…

"Do you actually believe this though, Koumori?" he asked, slapping the documents back onto the table. "Don't you think it smells a little like a Farfetch'd's leek? I mean, a school for Legendary Pokéshifters… and Team Galactic-"

"Of course I believe it," Koumori's smirk this time was somewhat maniacal. "Who wouldn't? This explains everything. It explains why Team Galactic suddenly disbanded four years ago. It explains why Legendary Pokéshifters are such a rare sight; it's not so much their abundance, or lack thereof, but more that they're constantly living in secrecy."

_Well, _you _would know about that, _Frinos thought sarcastically. _Have you even ever _met _any Legendary Pokéshifters?_

But what Frinos said was: "Arceus, that's sure a lot to take in. I never knew that Team Galactic possessed state-of-the-art teleportation technology or a bomb able to rip the fabric of time-space."

Koumori chortled at that. "Oh, come on! You're from Sinnoh, aren't you? You should know that Team Galactic were always a bunch of loonies in spacesuits. They were obsessed with state-of-the-art technology. But most Teams are. After all, they're pretty much all megalomaniacs."

_Tell me something I don't know, _Frinos almost said, but Asuka leapt right into the conversation before he could so much as open his mouth.

"Y'know…" she began slowly. "What I'm most curious about is what happened to those Pokéshifters…"

"Arceus knows," replied Frinos. "Even Team Galactic didn't know."

Asuka met his eyes. "Yeah, but what about that Giratina Pokéshifter? Would she and her friends still be in the Distortion World? And if they are, would they know where the other Pokéshifters might've gone…?"

That question hung in the air silently for a full minute. And then, Koumori, who was clearly in a laughable mood, guffawed once again.

"Yeah, I know, it was stupid for me to think that…" the Espeon Pokéshifter garbled hurriedly. "I just-"

"No, no, no," Koumori responded, regaining his composure. "In fact, I've been wondering the same thing. Finding other Pokéshifters is a goal that all of our kind share. It's natural to want to prove to yourself that you're not the last ones out there…" A slightly wistful expression passed over Koumori's face at that point, but disappeared so quickly that Frinos was uncertain as to whether he'd just imagined it. Also, he noticed that the Crobat Pokéshifter subtly gripped the end of his strange spiralling armband as he spoke.

_Does that mean anything? It probably does. Haku would know. He can mind-read just as well as this guy can._

"Exactly!" Asuka burst out. "I feel exactly the same way! That's why I really want to find them!" She shot up onto her feet as if she had been fired from a Zap Cannon. "So let's _go _find 'em!"

"W-wait," Frinos stammered, "y-you're not seriously thinking of-"

"Well, I'm all for it." Koumori pushed himself up onto his feet in one fluid motion. "And I happen to know where an entrance to the Distortion World might be." He looked over at Frinos, obviously noticing his gawking expression. "Oh, and don't think you're not coming, mister. Don't forget, you belong to me now."

"I wasn't thinking of not coming…" To tell the truth, Frinos was insanely curious. _But still… Naomi and Jean, Flandre and Alice and Piko… and that little Dieno Pokéshifter, Brooke. I never even found out what happened to her… whether she made it back alright… _He had just been getting to know them, and now he realised he might never see them again. And _they _probably wouldn't see him again either. They would most likely assume that he'd either been captured or killed. He suddenly recalled something Haku had said back in Eterna, when the Glaceon Pokéshifter had spoken to him last: _"I've noticed that you've joined a new family." _With all the members of the Pokéshifter Squad dead but for himself and Haku (and not to mention the fact that the latter had buggered off to Arceus-knows-where on the back of his Latias friend), the last family he had left was Jean's group of Pokéshifter freedom-fighters. And now he'd even forsaken them. _Asuka might not care… but I do! _he wanted to scream.

Despite his doubts, Frinos managed to stretch his mouth into the first smile he'd had since he'd awoken in Koumori's cluttered bedroom. "Actually, I'm genuinely curious. So, where are we going, exactly?"

Koumori's smirk was more devious than ever. "To place of real nightmares, that's where."

* * *

Naomi had only been half-expecting the assault, but as bushes exploded and leaves scattered all around her, it crossed her mind that a fight like this would have been inevitable regardless of the circumstances; a stand-off between Genmi and the liberated Pokéshifters.

As the ambush descended upon them, colourful displays of light could be seen all around as Pokéshifters reverted to their Pokémon forms, preparing for battle. Jean stood in the centre of everything, utterly dumbstruck. No order she could issue could stop the spread of this chaos now.

As the grey-clad Genmi grunts poured out from the undergrowth, every Pokéshifter reacted differently. Some, like that big brute of an Ursaring Pokéshifter, immediately shifted before charging headlong right into the fray, bellowing in fury. Others, including the lookout Furrow, scurried up nearby trees to bombard their opponents with attacks from a safe distance.

Some Pokéshifters tried to flee altogether – the cowards – but they were soon cut off. Genmi had the entire area completely surrounded.

Within seconds, a full-scale brawl had exploded within the forest grove. Sparks of electricity and plumes of fire ignited the midnight grove as Pokéshifters, Pokémon, and humans clashed. Quick Attack and ExtremeSpeed transformed the action into a colourful blur. Slash attacks rang out against Protect like the angry chimes of a Chingling's Uproar.

Naomi noticed Jean standing, utterly nonplussed, within the centre of the chaos. She gazed straight ahead unblinkingly, stricken to the core. And the Ekans Pokéshifter could tell that she knew nothing could be done to stop the conflict once it had started.

_Well, wasn't that what you wanted, Jeanie? A full-scale war between Pokéshifters and Genmi. That was your plan, wasn't it?_

Although Jean had never stated it openly, Naomi knew that was what she wanted. It was what they all wanted. After all, it was the only path to complete freedom. Even the laziest Slowpoke knew that the only way to earn freedom, rights and respect in an oppressed society was to fight. There was no other choice.

The Poison-Type sucked in a breath of oxygen, her body shaking with adrenalin. _And this is only the first battle._

Naomi was just about to shift and leap to the frontlines when a sudden, rather exotic-sounding voice emanated from less than a metre behind her. The Ekans Pokéshifter whipped round to meet the red-orange eyes of the strange golden-haired girl who had suddenly apparated seconds before the fighting started.

"Please. Do you have any Antidote? Full Heal? Pecha Berry? Anything at all?" Her tone was desperation itself. "If her condition isn't cured, she'll die within minutes!" She indicated the young auburn-haired girl cradled within her arms, thrusting her almost expectantly out at Naomi.

_Just who are you, appearing in the middle of a fight like that?! _Naomi thought as soon as she had gotten over her initial shock. After regaining her composure, the Ekans Pokéshifter bitterly laughed. "And how exactly am I meant to help with that? I'm a fucking Poison-Type!"

An unwillingness to believe that statement clouded within the girl's eyes. "No…" she murmured, her voice rising in pitch with every syllable. "No, you have to… I'll do anything… I'll-"

"Look," Naomi cut in brusquely, "I'm not refusing to help you because I don't want to. I'm refusing to help you because I can't. Now get out of the way. In case you haven't noticed, there's a fight going on all around us."

Without another word, Naomi shoved the tall girl aside and ploughed right into the frontlines, shifting as she ran.

She came eyeball-to-eyeball with a Genmi subordinate's Roserade. After Paralysing the Grass/Poison-Type with a well-aimed Glare, she wrapped her entire body around the petrified Pokémon, constricting its body tightly and sinking a Bite into its shoulder. It wasn't long before the Roserade passed out, and its Trainer fled once Naomi spat a globe of Acid at him.

Casting a slit-eyed golden gaze around the area, Naomi saw that the fight had mostly moved to the other side of the grove, all the Pokémon and humans in this zone having been sent back to their HQ packing. The Ekans Pokéshifter was just preparing herself to slither over to the battleground when suddenly, an imposing shadow cut right across her path.

"Well, well, well, just look who it is. A lying, thieving, turntail snake."

Maroon irises brimming with hatred seemed to glow molten-hot with enmity as it was exuded through the slits of narrowed eyelids. The jet-black hair nestled above those eyes was more wild and tousled than Naomi had last seen it; as if it had been blow-dried by a Pidgeotto's Twister attack.

_"__Nice do," _Naomi commented sarcastically. She felt like dropping an insult, even though she knew Atomica wouldn't understand her in her Pokémon form.

Atomica Genmi's glower never wavered as she spoke. "You are a pathetic excuse for a Pokéshifter. Oh, I'm going to enjoy mashing you up into a nice Poison-Type pulp. I'll make sure that you die begging at my feet for mercy."

_"__Wow, real ssscary," _Naomi hissed as she yawned. _"I'm sssorry, but cliché remarksss like that one aren't ussally very effective on me."_

It was almost as if Atomica had heard and understood that provocation. In any case, _something _had tipped her over the edge, as at that point she finally snapped.

"Porygon-Z!" she ordered the Normal-Type, which was spinning its trademark erratic circles around the maroon-eyed human's head. "Obliterate that Ekans Pokéshifter into dust. Use Zap Cannon!"

Naomi braced herself for the Virtual Pokémon's most powerful attack. She had to dodge – so much as touching that electric-yellow ball of energy could prove fatal. She knew just how over-powered Atomica's Porygon-Z was; it had been upgraded with Genmi's own tech as well as that of Silph Co., and the extra added features made it incredibly powerful. Thinking back on it, it was pretty impressive of Jean to have never fallen in battle to this utter monstrosity of a Pokémon.

Porygon-Z flung the electrified orb, sparking with energy, right at Naomi. The attack came quicker than she expected, and the Ekans Pokéshifter barely dodged it. Yet she landed, unscathed and as pumped for battle as ever.

Her golden eyes illuminated, widening. _Now this is where it gets interesting._

"Arrrgh!" Atomica's groan could easily have been heard in Hoenn. "Porygon-Z," she demanded, breathless, "use Psychic!"

Naomi internally gulped. _That's a super effective move. If it hits me, I'm done for…_

Psychic was not an easy attack to dodge. But it could be dealt with.

Naomi's Ekans body lauched into the air, springing upwards using momentum from her tail, and belched a gallon of sickly-orange Acid at her opponent. The attack did little damage, but it threw Porygon-Z out of concentration. She immediately dived at the Pokemon, latching herself tightly onto its body, constricting it with such force all of the bones in its skeletal structure would have cracked (if it had had any, of course).

"Shake her off, you moronic Pokémon! Use Thunderbolt!"

As static electricity coursed through Porygon-Z's internal curcuits, Naomi hastily uncoiled from her Wrap and launched herself in a random direction in order to escape the Electric-Type blast. She made it, just.

Naomi rolled back onto her belly, using the precious extra seconds she had to take some valuable gulps of oxygen. Her blood was pumping so fast through her body she feared her viens might burst.

There was no word to describe Atomica's facial expression other than absolutely ballistic. Her forehead was wrinkled, her teeth bared in a grotesque snarl, and multiple viens throbbed on her forehead. "You insolent… you piece of shit… you… This is… the last time you make a mockery of me…" She was eerily silent for a full second until she exploded. "You! I'm a complete laughing stock, because of you! I was forced to personally lead this shitty recapture mission, because of you! And why do you think I look like this, with my hair dishevelled, my make-up smudged, and these horrible dark bags under my eyes? I haven't had a wink of sleep. _All because of you!"_

After that tirade was over, Atomica deeply inhaled, then raged: "Porygon-Z, use Zap Cannon until it hits that scheming, ungrateful pile of Pokémon faecal matter right in the face!"

Porygon-Z immediately obliged. Naomi gave a yelping hiss as she flung herself again and again out of the way. The barrage came so quickly, she had no time to make any sort of counterattack; the air was suddenly filled with electrified yellow cannonballs, all making a direct beeline towards her.

However, the Normal-Type Pokémon suddenly stopped in its tracks. Its detached arms drooped to its sides, and its head hung; it appeared to be drained of almost all energy.

Naomi glanced up, confused. But then it hit her. _Of course. Using Zap Cannon requires a lot of energy. No wonder it ran out of PP so soon…_

Atomica had obviously noticed her Pokémon's condition, and rapidly rummaged within the pockets of her blazer, only to growl in frustration once no Ether or Elixir had been found. "Urrrraaaarrrgh! Use Tri Attack!"

Porygon-Z spun rapidly until its body was nothing but a cobalt and fuschia blur. Three orbs – one red, one blue, one yellow – were produced from its body and orbited the Pokémon before being shot like bullets at hyper velocity. Naomi made to leap out of the way yet again, but she was too slow this time. Three blasts hit her in quick succession, each more painful than the last. The first hit was scorchingly hot, burning her like fire. The second was chillingly frigid, an icy blast which made her entire body feel as though it was about to disintegrate from frostbite. And the final one blasted her ten feet backwards, as if a discharge of a thousand volts had entered her body – and from that moment, she was too jittery to move. She lay there, Paralysed, her vision blurring and her brain whirling, forming nothing but incoherent thoughts. It took her a few seconds to register Atomica's triumphant crow of glee, or that she was rising slowly off the ground under the influence of Porygon-Z's Psychic.

Dazed and unable to see anything but for the blurred, ghosting image of Porygon-Z, who was surrounded by the magenta corona of Psychic, Naomi almost gave up fighting altogether. But just as she rose to Atomica's eye level, and met that despicable woman's maroon gaze, she remembered.

She remembered her first fight with Atomica. She recalled how this very same woman had attempted to murder her. She remembered her revelation that Atomica had been manipulating her into bullying, abusing and capturing her own kind. She remembered Frinos – Arceus knows where he was – whom she, despite all thier recent shenanigans, had been unable to shake off since she had first met him. He was a prime example of the atrocities Naomi had committed towards Pokéshifters as a result of Atomica's influence; the Ekans Pokéshifter had utterly ruined his life, and had even been responsible for the death of his friends. If she had never accompanied Xerno on that mission to the rogue Pokéshifter camp in Eterna Forest, Frinos would never have lost his temper and attempted to freeze her to death. _Anything that he did… was entirely my fault. Well, my fault and _hers.

She remembered just why she hated this woman, and why she had to defeat her.

_It would be the ultimate redemption for my actions... and I must do it. For the sake of all Pokéshifters that have ever been captured or will be captured by this sadistic, manipulative bastard. _Naomi's muscles tensed as she floated through the air. _And she thinks _I _betrayed her?! She's the only turntail around here. She betrayed _my _trust. _

Naomi knew Atomica Genmi. She knew she was intelligent enough not to fall for the same trick twice. Porygon-Z's Psychic hold on her prevented her from using most of her moves, as it immobilised all parts of her snakelike form but for her eyes and mouth. So there was only one tactic which she could use in this situation.

The Poison-Type let forth the most horrible sound her voice could conjure; a wailing, incessant Screech so loud and piercing that it had the ability to significantly lower an opponent's defensive power. However, it doubled up as a very good distractive manoeuvre.

Porygon-Z reacted to the sound by going utterly berserk. He flailed, his detached limbs revolving erratically, as if that would somehow dispel the effects of the move. The pinkish glow faded from his body, and in the same moment Naomi felt herself fall.

As she did so, she prepared her tail for a decisive blow. Even though it wasn't technically a move, she had utilised her tail like a weapon on several occasions, including in her battle with the Absol Pokéshifter Haku and her last encounter with Atomica.

But as the Ekans Pokéshifter brought down her tail-club onto the body of her Normal-Type opponent, she noticed her tail had a steely glow about it; metallic and shiny, almost as if…

_The tail has transformed into iron. Iron Tail…_

Iron Tail slammed right into Porygon-Z before he had time to recover from Naomi's previous Screech. It collided with such force, cracks appeared on the Pokémon's body before it impacted into the overgrown soil, spraying earth around itself in a ten-metre radius.

Naomi just glimpsed the Pokémon's eyes glaze over as she landed, and knew that she had won.

Strangely enough, the Ekans Pokéshifter didn't feel tired, even after all that rapid dodging and those supersonic counterattacks she'd had to execute in order to defeat the colossus that was Atomica Genmi. She expected exhaustion, and yet… it wasn't there.

Instead, energy coursed through her body, vibrating in every cell from her tail tip to her tongue. It came with an odd feeling – a sensation which she never remembered feeling before. It had a mysterious, rather primordial quality; as if this energy was being channelled down into her body from the ancient past via some sort of temporal portal. Naomi struggled to find the words to describe this sensation; it was unlike any other emotion or feeling that the human body could experience.

However, Pokéshifters and Pokémon were a different matter entirely.

Streams of wispy white energy, like ribbons of fog or steam dispelled by Defog, emanated from Naomi's body. Although her view was being rapidly obscured, she locked eyes with Atomica. The head of Genmi's Sinnoh Division stared on in utter disbelief.

And then, the entire world turned brilliant white.

The glare of this strange energy blazed Naomi's retinas. She attempted to shield her eyes against the light, before remembering that her Ekans form had no eyelids, and so she could only wince at the brightness. But that soon became the least of her worries; as suddenly, every nerve ending in her body exploded in pain. Her skin then proceeded to rupture – or at least, that was what it felt like; as if a million needles were growing simultaneously from her scaly Ekans hide.

But it was over in seconds. All the pain and discomfort suddenly dropped off her body – as if she were simply shedding her skin. And then she re-emerged… into an entirely new skin.

The white light dissipated, and Naomi could see again. The first thing she noticed was that she was significantly taller; instead of staring up at Atomica from her coiled position on the forest floor, the Pokéshifter now towered above her. Her body also felt longer and heavier, and different in other ways which she couldn't exactly explain. _What… what just happened…?! _Naomi mentally garbled.

Atomica, meanwhile, still stared on, flabbergasted. "E-evolution?! For a weakling like you, I wouldn't have thought it possible! What are you playing at?! How were you able to… to defeat Porygon-Z… and then…" She broke off.

Naomi recalled the first word of Atomica's speech. _Wait… I _evolved?! _That was evolution?! Holy Arceus… looks like all that training finally paid off… and now I'm an Arbok Pokéshifter…_

The Arbok Pokéshifter let loose a hissing cry in her elation. _"Arrrbokk!" _she roared triumphantly.

Atomica was clearly not amused. She looked angrier than Naomi had ever seen her. "Oh, go on, then. Celebrate your little victory in your hideous new evolved form. But this fight isn't over yet, oh no." A sinister smile touched the edges of the raven-haired woman's lips.

The Poison-Type suddenly hesitated. _Wait… does Atomica have another Pokémon, other than Porygon-Z? One that I never knew about…?_

That grim smile only widened as, in a flash of red, Porygon-Z was returned to its Poke Ball. "Die, Naomi," Atomica uttered in an eerily quiet whisper.

And then – she disappeared.

_H-Huh? What!? Where's she-_

The Arbok Pokéshifter's thoughts were completely cut off when pain erupted just below her eye in the form of a vicious Night Slash which rent her skin, drawing blood. Naomi hissed in pain as she toppled over, struggling to right herself within her new body.

She landed face-upwards, and no sooner had she done so than a pair of maroon eyes descended upon her, set in a devious-looking face. The rest was all a blur, but she noticed the attack – a pawful of purplish claws raked across Naomi's face, stinging with such pain she was certain it was a critical hit. _Damn Shadow Claw!_

Naomi constricted her tail muscles in an attempt to rear back up to her full height, but during that time, she was hit with a barrage of Night Slash and Shadow Claw attacks – and the Pokémon who was attacking her, whatever it was, moved far too quickly to be seen. Within seconds, Naomi's skin was almost completely reduced to slash marks.

_"__Not so strong now, are you?" _taunted Atomica's voice – only, the timbre was somewhat deeper and more guttural than usual. _"So much for having evolved. Looks as if you're just as pathetic as you were as an Ekans… or perhaps my staggering Speed stat is confounding you, just a little? No wonder. I've been especially enhanced in that field. No Pokémon – or Pokéshifter, for that matter - can launch attacks faster."_

The Poison-Type cast a pained glance in the direction of the sound, locking onto the form of an uncannily familiar, smug-looking Weavile. Its silvery claws were crossed before its chest, and its crimson head crest billowed outwards, adorned with a glittering dark-blue gem. If the maroon eyes weren't enough, Naomi would've completely recognised the Pokémon's viciously arrogant demeanour as Atomica Genmi's.

_"__You're a… Pokéshifter…?" _Naomi posed slowly through split, slashed lips.

_"__Took you a while to realise." _The Weavile – or rather, Atomica – shifted forwards into a battle stance. Her eyes shone dangerously. _"Ready for Round Two? Oh, I can see the pain on your miserable face already. But that's nothing compared to what I've got in store for you…"_

_I need to act fast before she can strike again, _Naomi thought desperately. _She's… she's a Weavile… an Ice-Type… that means Iron Tail would be super effective, right? It just depends whether I can use it again as easily as last time…_

Naomi readied herself to strike before the next attack hit her, but instead of slashing at her again, Atomica decided to let off a rapid-fire Ice Beam.

The Arbok Pokéshifter was taken by surprise, and as she veered to the side to dodge it, she was nowhere near quick enough. The frigid blast collided with the left side of her comb. She collapsed to the ground as the Ice-Type energy seeped through her body, freezing her muscles into stasis until only her head remained unfrozen; the rest of her long, serpentine body was encased within an icy sarcophagus.

Atomica cackled. _"My, my, are all Arbok Pokéshifters so predictable? You should never assume your opponent to use the same tactic twice in a row. Only a complete imbecile would do that, and if they are a complete imbecile, then they're as good as defeated already. If I recall correctly, I was the one who tutored you on that principle, Naomi. And yet look what you've done with my impartial battling advice. You've tossed it right in the trash. Just like everything else I ever gave you." _She switched her stance, baring her claws, which were beginning to glow with ebony-coloured energy. _"Just one more hit. Then I'll be free to tear you to shreds."_

Naomi's vision darkened as the ice continued to spread up her jaw and into her skull. All she could see was Atomica; a dark blur which seemed to move in slow motion, phasing in and out of visibility with every movement. But even with her fading consciousness, she had time for one last cynical thought.

_I don't suppose Jean is going to suddenly jump in and save me this time… Nah, that would be far too _déjà-vu_._

Atomica materialised a foot above Naomi's head, her Weavile features bared in a malevolent smirk. _"DIE!" _she screamed forcefully.

As Naomi lay frozen, almost certain that she was about to do just that, she couldn't help but wonder what would happen to her in the afterlife. _Will I reincarnate into another Pokéshifter? Or maybe I won't be a Pokéshifter at all, but a Pokémon? Perhaps I'll become a Ghost-Type like they say, or maybe my soul will just float happily along the breeze, detached from everything. …Holy Arceus, when did I get so philosophical? Perhaps that's what I'll be in my next life; a bloody philosopher._

And then, for good measure, she added, _Or maybe this chill is just making me lightheaded…_

Despite her lightheadedness, Naomi saw her would-be killer descend towards her in stunning clarity. She saw every twitch of her claw, every twinge of her mouth. It seemed as though the Frozen status had made time itself freeze – at least for Naomi.

The Arbok Pokéshifter heard the ice shatter; the sound was like a mountain crumbling into dust. A sharp twinge was felt in her abdomen where Atomica's Night Slash punctured the skin – and then her entire body was ripped in two. Or at least, that was what it felt like.

The pain abruptly subsided. Naomi was no longer in the forested grove just west of Mt Coronet; instead, she was back in Eterna, watching the forest once again blacken and burn all around her. Reddish-orange spears of flame scraped the sky overhead, obscuring the light of the stars until only a pitch-black void could be seen. And from within that void, faces formed from darkness poured outwards – faces Naomi recognised as all the Pokéshifters she had condemned to Atomica's laboratory. The last one to appear was also the most recent – Frinos. The Glaceon Pokéshifter stared at Naomi out of dead, expressionless eyes and uttered one word.

"Die."


	21. Chapter 21: Senses Awakened

**Chapter Twenty-One: Senses Awakened**

**_INCESSENT BEEPING NOISES _****and the **steady sound of exhaling lungs filled Maddy's ears. At first, that was all she could hear within the dark, monotonous realm that encompassed her entire world. But gradually, on the outer fringes of her hearing, the Latias Pokéshifter began to detect the muffled sounds of a conversation. She strained to hear the voices, half-afraid that they would fall into silence; but instead they did the opposite, gradually increasing in loudness and frequency. Maddy's keen Latias ears picked up the sounds with stunning clarity. She heard the voices as if the speakers were standing right over her.

"Is she close to recovery yet, Nurse Joy?" It was the intelligent, smooth voice of Haku, but it had a slight tone of concern underlying it. "She's been out for about five hours now."

The kindly, slightly accented voice of the nurse chuckled. "Don't be impatient, young man. You can't rush the process of rehabilitation."

_Rehabilitation…? _Maddy's ear locked onto that one word, scrutinising it. _Does… does that mean I'm in rehab…? What… what happened…?_

Her addled mind attempted to fit the puzzle pieces together, but she could barely remember anything; everything had descended into confusion.

"So…" Nurse Joy continued, "this is your Latias? Where did you find her? …If you don't mind me asking. It's just, well, it's not every day that you see a real-life Legendary Pokémon!"

There was a short pause before Haku answered. "She was originally my mother's Pokémon Partner. She passed her onto me once she…" his voice faltered.

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry to hear that…" the nurse mumbled apologetically. "Well, she must be important to you."

Maddy experimentally opened one eye. The lid cracked open, and although her vision was blurry at first, it quickly realigned itself. She observed white sheets, a mess of electrodes and wires, and the undulating readout of a heart monitor. _Arceus, I really am in hospital._

The conversation continued, and now sounded so close the voices were practically blaring into her ear. "Yeah," Haku replied, sounding rather fatigued. "Yeah, I guess she is."

For seemingly no particular reason, at that moment, Maddy's heart thudded. The machine on the wall responded by emitting a cacophony of _bleeps _that caused her to screw up her snout in indignation.

"Her heartbeat quickened," Haku casually observed. "She must be awake."

"Looks as if you're right," Nurse Joy agreed as the two of them stepped closer towards Maddy. Now the Latias Pokeshifter could clearly see the two of them.

Haku was close enough for her to meet his eyes – amethystine orbs full of intelligence and enigmacy. His silvery fringe was swept sideways across his forehead, thick, black streaks carving mysterious patterns through his hair. As Maddy gazed upwards at him, she realised just for the first time how good-looking he was. But as soon as that thought entered her head, she shook it off.

_Ha ha. Me and Mr Wise Guy? No way. He's already capable of irritating me to the Distortion World and back. Plus, he's one hell of a slave driver. _As she was now fully awake, her thoughts had been reorganised and the memory now returned to her – she recalled bolting out of the range of that thunderstorm, becoming exhausted, fighting to stay conscious; and finally, being overcome by a weightless sensation before everything descended into darkness.

_He's the reason I'm in rehab. All because of his stupid paranoia._

Suddenly angry, the Latias Pokéshifter averted her gaze from her Absol counterpart. _No. There's no way… I don't see him like that, _she convinced herself.

But as Nurse Joy began pulling electrodes off her body and smoothing out her down-covered wings, checking them for a healthy sheen, she found she couldn't get that feeling out of her head; how she had felt when she first laid eyes on Haku after waking up. _Also, why did my heart rate quicken when he… when he said that… he thought I was important? Dammit, Arceus…_

Nurse Joy's soothing voice cut through Maddy's thoughts. "She's ready to go, but you'll be careful with her, won't you? Don't exert her too much. There's a limit to what even a Legendary Pokémon can take."

_Yeah, there's a limit, Haku, _she thought sardonically.

Haku once again appeared to read her mind. He flashed a rather mocking smile in her direction, as if responding directly to her thoughts.

_Give me a break, _Maddy mentally groaned as she was gently eased off the bed by Nurse Joy. Once airbourne, she spread her wings dramatically, almost slicing through the watery-blue dividing curtain set up around her bed.

She hovered over her hospital cot impressively, stretching her full wingspan out for all to see. The nurse backed away slightly, a small sweat-drop beading within her magenta locks. Yet she remained tactful as ever. "Well, I suppose if she has no Poké Ball or is unwilling to return into it, standard Pokémon Centre regulations can be put aside just this once. Just give a wide berth to the Audino and Chansey around the building."

"I will," Haku promised. "_Merci, _Nurse Joy."

"_De rein! _It was a pleasure meeting you." Maddy was initially confused when Nurse Joy did not bow, before remembering that she wasn't in Sinnoh any more. _Holy Arceus. This is really Kalos, huh…_

But she had barely seen anything yet.

Once she and Haku had re-emerged into the late afternoon, the glimmering majesty of Lumiose City shone into Maddy's retinas like a gleaming treasure trove of precious jewels. Lumiose _was _a jewel in its own right – the regional gem of Kalos. Colours seemed to blaze brighter here than anywhere else in the world – even with the fading light of the sun, the clouds' undersides were ignited by fiery ruby streaks, and the neatly-trimmed leaves of the trees lining the impossibly wide boulevard glowed peridot green. A steady stream of tourists and locals ambled along the pavement, accompanied by Pokémon of all shapes, Types and sizes. The streetside cafés were so packed with customers they looked as if their outer walls might burst. Roller skaters, cyclists, taxis and even herds of strange, shaggy goatlike Pokémon roamed the streets.

_"__Wow," _was all Maddy could utter. But in Pokémon form, this expression came out as more of a high-pitched "_tii" _sound.

"Lumiose City," Haku began, launching into full lecture mode. "With a population of four hundred and sixteen, it is by far the largest city in all the regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos put together. It is also known as "The City of Light", named so for the nighttime viewing of Prism Tower, a monument that is seen as the very icon of Lumiose City. Prism Tower was contructed –"

_"__Yeah, yeah," _Maddy interrupted. _"Come on, Mr Wise Guy. You're spoiling the atmosphere with your lecture."_

"Hey, mama!" a nearby child shouted as she pointed one pudgy finger in Maddy's direction. "A Latias!"

At the mention of "Latias", all the tourists in the immediate vicinity whipped out their cameras and began taking rapid-fire shots of Maddy. A cacophony of "oohs", "aahs" and one "Is that real?" accompanied the unwelcome attention. Flinching, the Latias Pokéshifter covered her face with her paws to hide her embarrassment.

_It sucks to be a Legendary Pokéshifter… _Maddy thought, not for the first time.

_"__Haku, let's get outta here. I need to breathe." _She hoped that that had gotten through to him through the jostling crowd – as the Absol Pokéshifter was now mostly concealed by a thick press of bodies. Maddy attempted to avoid the crowd by swooping low over their heads, but this just served to captivate them further.

Once he was free of the crowd, Haku made a beeline for a narrow, well-concealed alleyway about fifty metres down the boulevard. Maddy swooped gratefully into the backstreet, shifting once she knew she was out of sight of any prying tourists.

As her Latias down transmuted to human skin and her wings morphed into limbs, Maddy extended her body and sighed in relief. "Whew. It's kinda refreshing being in human form again." She smoothed a hand down her hair, checking that it was still pulled into its signature ponytail.

Her hand paused, still tangled within her wispy dark-blonde locks, as she noticed Haku simply staring at her, with that typical deadpan expression pasted right onto his face. She glanced away quickly before her cheeks could begin to redden. _Holy Arceus, what has gotten into me? …I'm tired. That's all. I was out for an entire five hours. No wonder my vision is still a little wobbly… _She shook herself once again, as if in an attempt to disperse those thoughts and emotions, but didn't succeed. She composed herself fully, inhaled deep through her nose and met Haku's eyes once again.

_It's weird… _she mused. _I've set eyes on this face many times before, but it somehow feels like he's a stranger. _He just seemed so… different, in a way that she couldn't properly explain. She figured it was her own perception… but since when did she start feeling this way? Did something happen during her comatosed state to create these confused emotions? Or had those feelings been present for a long time, and had she been ignorant of their existence up until now? But whichever way, thinking about this phenomenon was giving her a grating headache. So she tried to momentarily push those thoughts to the back of her mind and instead got straight to the point.

"Well, Mr Wise Guy. I think some apologies are in order."

Haku's face seemed genuinely apologetic as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Maddy. I could tell that you were suffering from major exhaustion. I was frightened-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Maddy cut in. "You don't need to drone on about it. You had a dream that we were going to die in a thunderstorm, and it scared your tail off, but that was all. C'mon! We're still alive, ain't we? And we're finally in Kalos! That's the important thing." Maddy was being honest; she truly wanted to let bygones be bygones, and her mixed-up feelings as well as her lingering exhaustion left her wanting to get this exchange done and over with. She was still annoyed with Haku, however, and figured she'd use a theoretical Revenge attack on him sooner or later.

Unblinking amethystine eyes settled upon Maddy. "Is that all? I thought you'd be absolutely apoplectic."

"Naw. Whatever that means." She tagged on a slightly nervous chuckle at the end, as she sensed the conversation might take an awkward turn at any moment. _Hopefully, he won't get suspicious. But what are the chances of that? He's always suspicious… _"So… uh… well…" she uttered in an attempt to change the subject, "what did I miss? What sort of shenanigans did you and Sakura get up to whilst I was dead to the world?"

Haku blew a silken string of silver out of his face. "After you fell unconscious, we crash-landed into the basement of the lab of this region's local Pokémon Professor."

He had uttered that so casually, it was almost comical. "Holy Arceus!" Maddy blurted. "Was he… okay with that?"

"Yes. In fact, he was completely fine with it. No negotiations were necessary. However…"

"Yes?" Maddy urged.

"He gave the impression that he wants us to do voluntary work for him. You know, as repayment."

"And what did you say to that?"

"Well… I neither confirmed it nor denied it. Still," he continued, his voice taking on a tone of dismissal, "we do not have to worry about him at present. I am much more concerned about Genmi…"

_Of course… _"I understand," Maddy replied, concerned. "About that… have you managed to get anything done about that yet? That _was _meant to be the entire reason we stopped here."

"No, not yet." The Absol Pokéshifter sighed. "It appears I miscalculated. I may not be able to seek that kind of help here… though I will assume for now that there is the possibility of other towns."

Maddy nodded. "I see." Her face suddenly twisted into a frown. "Wait… where's Sakura?" The timid Zoroark Pokéshifter was nowhere in sight.

"Oh," Haku replied, reassuming his usual deadpan expression. "I sent her to resupply our foodstock."

Maddy found herself sighing. "Haku, you can just say "shopping", you know."

"I presume you want to rendezvous with Sakura, so I'll take you to her," Haku uttered, ignoring Maddy's last comment. He stepped briskly into the dark recesses of the alley, stopping as he noticed Maddy wasn't following. "Is there a problem, Maddy?"

"Uh… no," the Latias Pokéshifter mumbled. "I'm… coming."

Maddy was once again transfixed as she and Haku emerged into the gradually fading sunlight of Vernal Avenue. A rainbow of painted colours lined both sides of the street, and choatic troupes of shaggy white-haired Pokémon (Haku had immediately identified them with his in-built Pokédex as Furfrou, and had even attempted to provide the Poodle Pokémon's full statistics to Maddy) frolicked among themselves. Prism Tower stood in the distance like a scene from a postcard – indeed, Maddy felt that it was so close she could almost reach out and touch it.

Haku, who had been restlessly searching the area for Sakura, jolted Maddy out of her trance as he announced, "She's over there."

Following his outstretched finger, the Latias Pokéshifter's electrum eyes fell on the Murkrow-haired Zoroark Pokéshifter. Her spindly, gangly body struggled under the weight of several hefty shopping bags. _Jeez, he really is a slave driver, ain't he? _she thought, casting a cynical glance over at Haku.

Sakura appeared to be lost. She cast her eyes around wildly as she wandered in erratic circles. She yelped whenever a pedestrian got to close, causing them to glance back and stare at her. She tried desperately to manoeuvre through the crowd whilst remaining inconspicuous, but it seemed that whatever she tried, she couldn't flow against the rapid river of the Lumiose crowd.

Maddy could just pick out the Dark-Type's voice as she slowly drew closer to their position. "U-um… E-excuse me, sir… C-can I get p-past? M-maybe? Please? Eep!"

The Latias Pokéshifter sighed. _I suppose it's hard getting around in a crowd when you can't stand up for yourself…_

Sakura was only several feet away from them when she collided with a smack into another passerby. "A-ahh! I-I'm so sorry, miss! I-"

The woman whom Sakura had banged heads with laughed good-naturedly in response. "Oh no, that was my fault! Clumsy me!" She was just about to shift sideways to let Sakura pass, but then her gaze suddenly landed on Maddy.

Amber orbs met with striking reddish-pink irises. The woman casually blew a lock of magenta hair from her face as she regarded Maddy; scrutinising her, almost. Then her mouth twisted in a strange smile before she broke eye contact and moved off.

_What in Houndoom's realm was that about? _A small bead of sweat travelled down the side of Maddy's face.

"Sakura!" Haku called. "Did you get everything?"

The Zoroark Pokéshifter initially froze at the sight of Haku, before dashing towards him so quickly she almost tripped over her own boots. Her cheeks were coated in a rosy blush.

Maddy almost groaned. _Oh, here we go with this again._

"H-haku!" Sakura cried, "I-I brought everything you asked me to! Herbal r-remedies… P-potions and Revives… I even got a c-couple Lumiose Galettes. S-someone recommended them to me and..." She stopped, her slight grin wavering and then morphing into a forlorn expression. "B-but… everything's so pricey here… I… I… spent all the PokéDollars we had between us…"

"Wha-?" Maddy yelled out in frustration. "I contributed ten thousand PokéDollars! What do you mean, you spent it all?!"

Sakura looked down in shame. "I-I-I'm sorry, Maddy…"

Haku shrugged. "We can get some more if necessary. Plus, judging by the size of those bags, we probably have enough provisions for an entire month."

Sakura seemed a little cheerier after that. "Y-yeah! I-I bought as much as I c-could carry."

Maddy consciously fidgeted with her backpack strap. "Yeah. I'm not sure if it'll all fit in here though…"

"We can improvise," Haku suggested. "We-"

He cut off during the middle of his sentence, and his last syllable descended into a low moan. He clutched his temples and writhed a little before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell unconscious, toppling backwards. Sakura only just managed to catch him in time.

"O-oh no…" Sakura mumbled with concern. "He's… he's having another v-vision like the one he had on the way here…"

Maddy instantly recognised the symptoms. It was those strange visual premonitions of the future that Haku got – it probably had something to do with the fact that he was an Absol Pokéshifter. But that was all that he would ever disclose; he never gave details of what exactly he had seen during those visions.

Some of the people in the nearby crowd stared at Haku in confusion, but thankfully, none of them asked questions. After a moment's passage, Haku's eyelids snapped open and he leapt to his feet frantically. A nearby child squealed in shock.

The Absol Pokéshifter never noticed the unwanted attention directed towards him. Instead, he pulled Maddy and Sakura in closer towards him. "We need to leave. Now," he whispered breathlessly. "It's Genmi. They'll be here, at Vernal Avenue, in ten minutes."

As Sakura absorbed this news, her face became utterly horror-struck. "H-how did they kn-know we were here?!" she stammered in fright.

"Obviously, somone informed on us." Maddy wondered who it could have been. Perhaps someone had seen her shift in that alley after all? She knew from experience that the undercover agents of Genmi inhabited every dark corner, every shadowed alcove and every grisly backstreet of every city; just waiting to pounce on unsuspecting Pokéshifters. _Perhaps that woman… _Maddy mused. It was true that her behaviour had definitely been suspicious. But it was crazy to assume that.

"Anyway, we need to leave Lumiose. So I hope you two have every valuable possession on your person, as we're not going back for it."

"B-but Haku!" Sakura protested, "What about your s-sugery?"

Haku shook his head. "I've already asked about that issue. Discreetly, of course. But Nurse Joy of the South Boulevard Pokémon Centre told me that, due to safety reasons, it's illegal to perform surgery in any Pokémon Centre in Kalos. Unless it's an absolute emergency, of course, which in my case it isn't." His fingers gingerly touched the area just above his pelvis, where the Genmi subordinate had shot him back in the woods just beyond Kalos.

"That sounds crazy," Maddy commented as the trio began to retrace their steps through the alley, walking at such a brisk pace they were practically running. "Why won't they let you have surgery?"

"Simply put, it's not what Pokémon Centres specialise in. They're all about providing medication and rest for Pokémon. It's often rare that a Pokémon should need surgery anyway; but in such a scenario, they would need to visit a specialist Pokémon surgeon. That's the advice Nurse Joy gave me. But, according to her, there isn't a single one of these Pokémon surgeons in Lumiose."

"I see…" The Latias Pokéshifter was now even more concerned for Haku. _That bullet inside him must be troubling him… Although he's not letting it show on the outside at all. Tough little Mr Wise Guy…_

Within minutes, they had re-emerged from the alley and were dashing down the broad paving slabs of South Boulevard, almost knocking over a Roller Skater in their wake.

Maddy glanced backwards, gritting her teeth as she spotted the purple G of Genmi blurred in among the crowd. "Shit! They're here. But that wasn't even ten minutes!" And then she thought: _Is it really impossible for us to ever catch a break?_

"Time flies when you're in immediate danger," Haku explained. "But I think I can see our ride out of here."

"R-ride?" questioned Sakura.

Glancing upwards, Maddy could see yet another of those big, bushy goatlike Pokémon with the fantastically curved horns. And Haku was making a beeline straight for it.

"Um," was all Maddy could utter in regards to this situation.

The Absol Pokéshifter had already mounted the behemoth Pokémon's broad back once Maddy had reached its side. Sakura quickly leapt up, shopping bags flailing, and Maddy followed suit.

Haku grasped the huge Pokémon's horns and spoke softly and politely to the Pokémon (who Maddy assumed was a Grass-Type, as it had a veritable forest of bushes sprouting across its entire back). "Nice to meet you, Gogoat-san. Could you possibly take us out of Lumiose as fast as you can? We're in a bit of a hurry."

_"__Sure, fine. So long as there's a bucketful of Berries in it for me at the end," _the Gogoat grunted in response; seemingly, he could understand the language of humans pretty well.

"Done deal." Haku smiled, tightening his grip. "Hold on tight. Gogoat are one of the fastest Pokémon on land in Kalos – Oof."

Sakura had interpreted the phrase "hold on tight" as meaning "squeeze the life out of Haku", as she had her arms wrapped around him so tightly it looked as if she might squash his internal organs into intenstine pancakes. Maddy clung to Sakura, albeit not as tightly as the Zoroark Pokéshifter clung to the other Dark-Type.

Enraged voices called out behind them as Gogoat pounded his hooves, preparing for takeoff.

"Stop them! Stop those Poké – err - humans!"

"They're getting away with my Gogoat!"

Haku leaned forwards in anticipation. "Let's go, Gogoat!"

And then every sound of the city – the cries of Pokémon, the squeals of frolicking children, the angry shouts of the Genmi grunts behind them – all blended into one.

As Maddy's vision became rapid brushstrokes of blurred colour and her eyes began to stream relentlessly, one thought crossed her mind.

_This is how others feel when they ride on my back in Latias form… Isn't it…_

* * *

Luci chewed silently on her Aspear Berry sandwich as her amber-hued gaze darted around the small campsite. She bit into another mouthful as the taste of slightly-stale bread and the refreshingly sour flavour of the Aspear paste spread over her tongue. The paste caused a warming sensation to bloom in Luci's oesophagus as she swallowed; the manifestation of the anti-Freeze effect of the Berry. Luci was glad of it; her extremeties were so numb, she almost felt as though they were frozen stiff.

She had demolished the sandwich in seconds, but Flara had gobbled down her own Cheri Berry meal even more rapidly. The Flareon Pokéshifter licked a spicy crimson moustache off her lips before she spoke.

"So, yeah, like Luci-Lu was saying-" she began.

"_Don't _call me "Luci-Lu"." The Lucario Pokéshifter glared threateningly at Flara as she spoke. "Or I'll do a lot more than slap you."

Flara sheepishly smiled before continuing. "So, yeah, anyway. We both come from Sinnoh, and we were actually traveling with a whole bunch of other… people when we got separated from them at Sandgem Town."

Luci glared out into the distant shadows of the badlands as Flara chattered, silently grumbling to herself within her thoughts. _Ugh. Why'd we have to end up in _this _situation? We're going to have to tell them _everything_ now. All because of Flara's idiocy. Seriously, she'll do anything as long as food is involved. Especially if it's an extra-spicy Cheri Berry sandwich. _She almost sighed. _Now we have to hope against hope that these people aren't of any danger to us…_

"How did you get separated?" the curly-haired boy known as Vernon inquired. His peridot gaze was so intense, Flara almost recoiled from it. Or perhaps it was just the dim lighting; the cinnabar ribbons of flame only illuminated the left side of Vernon's face, leaving the other cast almost completely in shadow.

"U-um… We… uh…" The Flareon Pokéshifter glanced warily at Luci, as if expecting another slap. Luci merely shrugged. She didn't care anymore about these complete strangers learning all their secrets, especially as she couldn't forsee any way out of this situation now without telling them.

"Uh…. so have you heard of Genmi Incorporated, by any chance?"

The name appeared to vibrate through the bodies of the campfire duo like the tidal ripple that precedes a tsunami. Both of them froze; Vernon stiffened in a rigid cross-legged position, and Magiku, who had sneakily pilfered a charred twig from beneath the fire, stared, her jaw petrified in mid-bite.

It was only once the two of them had snapped out of their induced stupor that they reacted to Flara's question. Vernon simply cringed, but Magiku's reaction was a tad more dramatic. She hastily jumped to her feet in a reddish-yellow blur, brandishing her burnt stick through the air. The twig reignited as she waved it around, eventually thrusting it right into Flara's face. Heterochromial irises bored into Flara's own chestnut orbs.

"G-Genmi Incorporated!?" she spluttered. "H-how do you know about them?! W-we don't even speak of them around-"

"Magiku, keep your voice down!" Vernon interrupted forcefully. "And what did I tell you about not eating those twigs?"

The girl simply grunted in annoyance at that and bit the stick in half, shovelling both sides into her mouth and chewing down on the wood, flames and all.

_Seriously… _Luci thought disapprovingly as she watched. _As if there weren't enough weirdoes around here…_

"How do you know about them?" Vernon posed, repeating Magiku's question. His eyes narrowed almost to slits as he spoke again: "Are you by any chance… affiliated with them…?"

"No! Never! No fucking chance!" Flara retaliated, utterly enraged that such a notion could ever be applied to her. She leapt imposingly to her feet. "Those… thugs killed my family! They threatened my friends! Heck, they even hurt me… They beat me up, had me tortured, and… You're suggesting that I was with those sick arseholes? As in, working for them?" She cackled almost hysterically as she advanced forwards. "Well, mate, if you think like that-"

At that point, Luci stood up, no longer able to let this conversation flow without intervening. She grasped a handful of vermillion hair before yanking Flara away from Vernon by the scalp. "What she's trying to say," Luci uttered as she released Flara's head from her Vicegrip-like hold, "is that we're both Pokéshifters."

The Flareon Pokéshifter sank to the cracked, dusty desert floor. "Yeah. That's right," she confirmed, almost wearily. It seemed as though Flara's usually bottomless source of energy had somehow run dry.

However, Vernon remained suspicious. "A-are you really?" he asked sceptically, although it seemed as though he desperately wanted to believe it. "Prove it."

Luci frowned, suddenly apprehensive. "Why should we have to? Isn't word of mouth good enough for you?" Her gaze locked onto Magiku, exuding annoyance. "And what's up with you lot? You seem pretty suspicious yourselves… I mean, who eats burning twigs?!" Luci practically spluttered her last sentence.

"Huh?" Magiku was still chewing relentlessly as she glanced up. "Isn't eating twigs a normal thing to do?"

"No, it's not!" the other three chorused furiously, causing Magiku herself to back up defensively.

"Why not?" the pre-teen inquired. "Or is it just because you guys aren't Fennekin Pok-"

Magiku's last syllable hung in the air like an axe about to fall on the small company. Silence sliced through the atmosphere of tension, and all four of them simply exchanged awkward, suspicious glances for a full ten seconds.

"Pokey… pokey poke… poke… poke… pokey-mon… hee hee hee…" Magiku giggled sheepishly.

Abruptly, her companion rose, elongating to his full height. "So. Perhaps this will settle it?" he suggested before his entire body dissolved into a lumionous swirl of greenish hues. Once the light had faded, a gargantuan beast of a Pokémon stood before the Lucario Pokéshifter. Its impressive, curvature horns were banded with a green stripe that matched the hue of its eyes. Covered in mostly beige, shaggy fur with a few streaks of rich earth-brown, a thick tangle of bushes sprouted across its back.

Luci had to admit she had never laid eyes on such a Pokémon before; but then she remembered that she was in Kalos. _Kalos sure is a region that's full of surprises, huh…_

An instant later, Vernon had reverted back to his human form. "Well. I hope you understand now why I, as a Gogoat Pokéshifter, would like you to prove that you are kin of ours."

"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!" Magiku cut in before Luci could reply. "Can I shift too, Vernon? I'd like to show them _my _Pokémon form!"

And of course, she did. Her relatively miniscule Pokémon form was tiny in comparison to Vernon's; though it had huge, billowing foxy ears and large heterochromial eyes. Although the foxlike Pokémon appeared innocent and cute, two sharp canines were visible behind its lips. _Looks can be deceiving. I'm sure this kid is an absolute monster to face in battle, _Luci mused. She wasn't sure exactly why she thought that – perhaps it was something to do with the girl's Aura. _Though my Aura perception is always down when my PP is low. If I'd been hale and hearty, I'd have known that these two were Pokéshifters immediately…_

_…__But I can still sense something. There's still one other person out there, watching us. I can't determine who or what they are, but…_

"You know what. I'll prove that I'm a Pokéshifter so long as the other guy comes out and introduces himself."

Flara met her gaze. "What other guy? What are you sensing, Luci?"

"I'm not too sure…" she replied, her fierce amber gaze rapidly alternating between the faces of Vernon and Magiku, who were unsuccessfully attempting to feign confusion. "It could be another Pokéshifter…"

The sound of calm applause ricocheted off the surrounding rocks as a dark figure emerged from the shadows, just outside the ring of illumination thrown by the fire. As soon as the newcomer entered the circle of light, Luci could make out his facial features.

The form was that of a teenage male perhaps a little younger than Luci. His pale, almost whitish ice-blue eyes coolly appraised the Lucario Pokéshifter from beneath a thick fringe of azure hair. The boy's skin was pale porcelain, perhaps a shade darker than albino; with the exception of an azure rhombus that appeared to be tattooed on to the centre of his forehead. He was dressed warmly in a thick white winter parka and matching baggy trousers. The neck of a cerulean shirt poked out from under his parka, and his white boots were tightly secured by cobalt-blue laces.

His mouth was set in a serene smile. "You found me. I wonder how?" He spoke slowly and softly, as if he were contemplating the meaning of each word as it rolled off his tongue. "Perhaps you're a Psychic-Type…?" Shaking his head, he continued, "No… that's not right. It seems as though you can sense Aura, but not in the way a Psychic-Type would. You have spirit worthy of a Fighting-Type, and the sort of unbending will commonly associated with the Steel-Type. Hmmm."

Luci blinked. _How the hell did he manage to deduce all that? …Unless _he _can sense Aura too… _But Luci thought that unlikely. _There aren't that many Pokémon that can read Aura, after all…_

"Azzurro!" Vernon blurted. "Were you listening to everything just now? I thought you were asleep!"

The boy named Azzurro shook his head. "Nope. I was gazing at the stars above. The desert night sky is beautiful, no? And it's even more amazing when you stop to consider that those stars might have planets orbiting them. Planets that harbour life… and perhaps some that don't… but all different. All within the same universe… the same galaxy, even, and yet concealing an almost infinite number of varied possibilities…" He shrugged, his tone becoming slightly exasperated. "But you two distracted me, as ever, with your loud conversation. It was all I could do _not _to listen with noise like that filling my ears."

"Hey, Azu! Are you saying my voice is loud?! 'Cos it ain't!" Magiku yelled at the exact same volume of a Loudred using Screech.

Azzurro appeared to wince. "Painfully loud, Magiku. You're compressing my eardrums."

Luci simply stared at the three of them as they, having casually forgotten that she and Flara even existed, became completely fixated on their own argument. Even Vernon soon got involved as he attempted to break it up. _Holy Arceus. Looks like I've found another bunch of complete Lunatones, _she thought, recalling her first meeting with the Pokéshifter Squad in Eterna Forest. This whole rendezvous seemed almost nostalgic; like a case of _déjà-vu_.

Flara suddenly cut in, as was her speciality, by asking: "So, what kind of Pokémon do you shift into, blue-haired dude?"

Azzurro smiled. "I'm an Amaura Pokéshifter, in actual fact. Though you're from Sinnoh, aren't you? So you might not necessarily know…"

In an explosion of azure light, the boy had transformed into a little dinosaur-like Pokémon with several diamond-shaped crystals lining his back. Two identical crests sprouted from his temples, glowing in alternating shades of ice-blue and aquamarine. Then, within a millisecond, Azzurro was human once again. "And you two are…?"

The two of them promptly shifted, and then back again, introducing themselves as they did so.

"Flara Rayong, Flareon Pokéshifter."

"Luci Strider, Luca-"

"Lucario Pokéshifter," Azzurro finished with a smile. "I guessed as much."

Luci frowned at the Amaura Pokéshifter. _This kid… something about him oddly reminds me of Haku… In fact, these guys are almost like the Kalosian counterparts of the Pokéshifter Squad. Weird._

"So… what now, Vernon?" Magiku asked. "Are these guys gonna… join us, maybe?" She glanced almost pleadingly at the Gogoat Pokéshifter.

Vernon opened his mouth to speak, but Flara got there before him. "Join you?! Hell's yeah! So long as you give me more of those Cheri Berry sandwiches. They were scrumptious!"

The Gogoat Pokéshifter sighed. "That was the last one-"

"Aww. Oh well, I'll join you anyway. What's your group name?"

"Well, we call ourselves the K.L.A.P.!" Magiku announced proudly. "Or the Kalos Liberation Agency for Pokéshifters!"

Luci almost spluttered. _Holy Arceus._

"That's so cool!" Flara gasped.

"Well…" Vernon mumbled, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, "because you've got no supplies on you, I suppose you can stay with us for the time being. We do have a spare sleeping bag. But it's just the one."

Luci passed a sidelong glance to Flara. "Right. I suppose I can tolerate you, on the condition that it's just for one night."

Flara grinned. "Aw, don't be like that, Luci! Be grateful that you even have a sleeping bag at all. 'Cos, y'know, they could just as well have forced us to sleep on the cold 'n' uncomfortable desert floor."

"Oh, no," Vernon replied casually. "The floor's reserved for Magiku."

"Huh?!" the Fennekin Pokéshifter spluttered as everyone else burst into explosive laughter. "Hey! Stop laughing! That… that's not even true, anyway! Vernon, you meanie!"

* * *

As Flara smoothed out their sleeping bag onto the uneven desert terrain and Magiku poked admist the dying the embers for yet another midnight snack, Luci leant back against a nearby rock formation, her eyes closed and her body relaxed, as if meditating.

Amber orbs snapped open as a sudden wave of Aura slammed into her like an Icicle Crash, and the sound of incomprehensible whimpering filled her mind. _What the-_

The sound was almost unbearable to hear. It ached of loneliness, desperation, pain…

But as quickly as it had manifested itself in Luci's brain, it had ebbed away.

Flara glanced up, concerned. "Is something wrong, Luci?"

"Um…" The Lucario Pokéshifter's eyes panned over the dark scenery of the twilight Lumiose Badlands, but she couldn't pick out anything in particular, and she sensed no more Aura radiation. "I… just thought I sensed something. That's all."

She tried utterly to believe that statement, but it was no use.

_Aura never lies._


	22. Chapter 22: The Not-So Glorious Leader

**Chapter Twenty-Two: The Not-So Glorious Leader**

**_ONE BY ONE, _****the intricate **constellations of the nighttime sky disappeared as the pale light of dawn broke through, casting a spreading magenta glow through the atmosphere. A craggy overhang basked in the light of the new day as its opaque form cast a long shadow almost as dark as the night itself onto the rocky mountain pass below. Beyond the pass spread a natural masterpiece of picturesque scenery; trees of verdant jade-green and a steep gorge carved by sparkling water that fell vertically downwards in a shimmering sheet of sapphire.

As Mt Coronet pierced the brightening clouds above like a stony lance, the slopes far, far below its pinnacle teemed with Pokéshifters of all shapes, colours and sizes.

Although many of them were busy at work igniting cookfires with Flamethrower or assembling makeshift shelters, a huge crowd was gathered in a rough circle ringing the centre of the pass, where a single, tooth-shaped rock jutted upwards from the path.

Jean the Genesect Pokeshifter stood imposingly with the soles of her boots firmly balanced atop the rock. Her expression was as adamantine as the landscape around herself. Her eyes were hazel-coloured chips of marble. She glared down threateningly from her perch onto the face of the maroon-eyed Pokéshifter who knelt stiffly on the dusty grains.

Atomica Genmi was a rather sorry sight. An X-shaped incision cut across her chest from Jean's super-effective X-Scissor blow, slashing through the velvet-like fabric of her blazer. Her once crisp-white shirt was now splattered with splotches of blood, colouring it a burgundy hue almost akin to that of her irises. Her face was even worse. Atomica's skin could barely be seen under the various singe marks, shallow cuts and indigo bruises that Jean had dealt her. The Weavile Pokéshifter's hair could only be described as an absolute disaster zone. It was so bedraggled, it could have been easily mistaken for Mightyena fur. Parts of it were completely singed off; others were caked in dried blood and compressed into wiry mats. Her hands were tightly roped behind her back, courtesy of a Tangrowth Pokéshifter's Vine Whip, and two other Pokéshifters flanked her, ready to strike at the first threat. Jean had specifically picked those two, a Bisharp and a Gallade who were both extremely skilled in combat, to be Atomica's bodyguards. But it seemed there had been no need - the head of Genmi's Sinnoh Division had been uncharacteristically calm throughout the journey. Though she had, admittedly, been unconscious for a good portion of it.

The Genesect Pokéshifter continued to stare her down. _I'm not sure quite what it is… _she mused, _but something about this woman unnerves me greatly… Is she planning a surprise attack? Hoping to catch us off guard? _These thoughts, amongst many others, buzzed back and forth within her mind like a loud, insistent swarm of Combee. She closed her eyes for a full second as she attempted to clear her head. _First things first._

"Atomica Genmi," she announced. Her voice boomed, reverberating off the mountainside. "You are a Pokéshifter, no more, no less… and yet, we cannot count you as being our own kin."

The crowd suddenly riled at that. Amid shouts of "She's no Pokéshifter! She's just a cold-blooded maniac!" and "Why don't you kill her now, Leader Jean? She deserves death for all she did to us!", some of the Pokéshifters diligently working at setting up their campsite dropped their tools, their twigs, and roared their approval.

"Silence!" Jean bellowed. Almost immediately, the cacophony of shrieks and screams quelled completely. Her gaze never left the Weavile Pokéshifter.

"The fact that you are a Pokéshifter changes everything. As you yourself are one of the superior members of Genmi Incorporated – the CEO's daughter, no less – I can deduce that there is some sort of ulterior motive behind your actions." Jean paused for a moment as she took a step forward. "So, why is it exactly that you conduct inhumane scientific experiments on your own brethren? Furthermore, do your own colleagues know about your Pokéshifter abilities?"

Atomica Genmi emitted a noise that was somewhere between a cough and a giggle. Her wild fringe half-concealed her bruised and bloodshot maroon orbs, giving her a rather maniacal look. And even when she started to speak, Jean could detect the underlying insanity within her voice.

"Well, well, well, look what you've become. Jean, my Genesect Pokéshifter." Her words came out in a soft rasp, and yet they were loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear. "I never thought that I'd ever be beaten and humiliated, and much less interrogated, by a bunch of insolent kids." That statement was spoken in an uncharacteristically calm voice for Atomica, and although she was positively exuding hatred, an unsettlingly large smile was pasted over her face.

"You're not answering my questions. And I need answers from you, Atomica Genmi." Jean made certain that her inner unease never showed upon her surface.

"Tell me something I don't know!" Atomica shouted, cackling. "But I'm afraid that I can't give you those answers that you covet so dearly. The reason why I conduct experiments…? Well, from what I know of you, Jean, you would never understand. You're one of those goody-goody, law-abiding, peace-equality-and-justice types. You couldn't even begin to fathom how Genmi is going to make this world so much better than it is today-"

"No," Jean interrupted forcefully, slight irritation now manifesting within her voice. "That's where you are wrong. I'm not a goody-goody, nor am I a pacifist. I've also broken my own fair share of laws. You seem to regurgitate the same exact quotation used by every villainous gang or covert organisation within this world. Every single member of Team Rocket, Magma, Aqua, Galactic, Plasma, etcetera… believe that they and their group are committed to the rebirth of a new, rejuvenated society, better than the current one. What they never seem to understand is that their actions only serve to make things worse."

"Are you _sure _you're not one of those goody-goody pacifists? Because you definitely _sound_ like one from that speech! Also, what exactly are you trying to accomplish by saying this to me? Are you perhaps…" Atomica paused, her eyes widening in mock horror. "…Trying to convert me?" She guffawed maniacally. "Well, I'm sorry, Jean, but it isn't going to work on big bad Atomica."

The Genesect Pokeshifter gritted her teeth. _What caused this abrupt change in behaviour? Was it because she was finally beaten? Did her mentality snap when she finally acknowledged that she had well and truly lost? Or is she simply acting, trying to catch me off guard so she can strike at her first opportunity? _Either way, Jean knew she was treading over a magma fissure that might erupt at any moment.

"Very well," she murmured, as if bringing the topic to a close. She could always attempt to glean information out of her by using other methods, but she would rather not do so in front of a large crowd. In fact, she would have rather had this interrogation in private, but due to the inquisitive and argumentative nature of her comrades, it had become a public spectacle. "But you still haven't answered my second question."

"Well, _I'm _sorry!" the maroon-eyed Pokéshifter retorted, disgruntled. "It wasn't my fault you so rudely interrupted me! Besides, I can't exactly tell you the answer to that either. However…" Those dark claret irises glinted malevolently. "I can tell you that all Genmi members who know the truth of my lineage are either my superior… or dead." She emphasised on the last word of her sentence, making it crack across her tongue and through the air like a torturer's whip.

Jean took a deep breath before speaking again. _I can't reason with this woman. It's like she puts up an infrangible shield around herself whenever a question is posed to her… _"As everyone here knows, the Sinnoh HQ of Genmi Incorporated is located just outside Eterna City, in the wilderness just beyond the city's Team Galactic building. But that isn't your only HQ, now is it? I have reason to believe you have a Headquarters in every region. But where is your main HQ located?"

Atomica's smile widened at that. "Oh, I see now what you're trying to do, little Jean. No subtlety there, as ever. You're trying to cut the head off the Ekans." Jean flinched at that statement, knowing exactly what her choice of metaphor was referring to. "But what will my mother say if I tell you exactly where her HQ is? Although I admit that it is unlikely that eighty-odd suicidal children will be able to even get past its front entrance, regardless of whether they are powerful Pokéshifters or not."

One of Atomica's guards suddenly snapped. The Gallade Pokéshifter had been glaring at her with utter contempt throughout the entire exchange, but it was only now that he spoke up. "Jean! Are you just going to stand there and take that?!" he yelled. "_Nobody _underestimates us," he growled, rounding on Atomica. "We're capable of more than your sick organisation could ever do. We're not _just kids_. We're Pokéshifters, and proud, and we're willing to die fighting for our freedom. And _you… _You don't even deserve to be called a Pokéshifter! You're a sick psychopath, that's what you are! You don't care about anyone or anything, human, Pokémon or Pokéshifter…" He shook his head. "I don't care what you say, Jean, but she needs to die. It's the only fitting punishment for her, since she killed so many others!" In that instant, the Gallade Pokéshifter's furious face met Jean's own. His pale red eyes, half-covered by the strands of a meadow-green fringe that poked out from under his crimson bandanna, seemed to glow with glittering intensity. Members of the crowd around him roared in agreement.

_It seems like there are a lot of them... Those who would readily kill her… But can I really blame them for such a desire? What he says is true, after all… _Jean shook her head. "No, Shugo," she stated firmly. "We cannot allow this woman to die. She is a potential asset to our cause-"

"_Asset?!_ That's complete Tauros-shit!" Shugo abruptly lunged towards Atomica, shifting even as he moved. His elbows elongated into sword-like blades, and a greenish spike erupted through the slit in his bandanna. Even before he had fully transformed, the magenta glow of Psycho Cut lit up his protruding elbows. Atomica's face remained impassive as Shugo charged towards her.

Jean was just about to leap into the fray herself, but Shugo's fellow bodyguard got there before she could.

The Bisharp Pokéshifter managed to restrain his Gallade counterpart, ignoring the wild slashes of Psycho Cut and Leaf Blade which sliced through the ebony sleeves of his jacket, at one point even drawing blood. The Bisharp winced slightly as he tightened his hold on Shugo. "Calm down, Shugo! Leader Jean is right. If we kill her, we won't know where to go next! Think about it for a moment!"

Shugo did not stop struggling. "Let go of me, Shard! You know you want to kill her too!"

Shard the Bisharp Pokéshifter narrowed his cyan gaze at Atomica's slumped form, peering through his messy fringe of dark auburn locks. "I won't deny it. But personally, I like a fair fight. I won't try to take someone down if they're weak and defenceless. I'm not that kind of guy. To be honest, Shugo, I didn't think you were either."

Although the Gallade Pokeshifter's struggling had ebbed somewhat, he still acted defiant. "But how can you just sit there while she's… she's just…" He broke off, unable to form coherent words. Tears of rage and passion glistened within his eyes.

After catching her breath, Jean leapt down from the precipice she was balanced upon and rushed over to the scene. "Discontinue your fight," she ordered, slightly breathlessly. "Immediately."

Shugo appeared to realise who exactly he was dealing with. As the Gallade Pokéshifter's elbow blades once again retracted into his bones and his body slackened, Shard finally let go of him. He practically collapsed to the floor, as if all his energy had been sapped by Giga Drain. He refused to meet Jean's or Atomica's eyes as he spoke. "But seriously… Jean… are you really gonna just…"

"Atomica Genmi will answer for her actions in due time," Jean assured him. She projected her voice towards the crowd, so that she could also reach the ears of those who had favoured Shugo's course of action. "Eventually, we will put it to democratic vote; we will all decide whether she lives, or whether she dies. For now, you must all understand that this captive possesses information that we will need in order to liberate the Pokéshifters of the world from the clutches of Genmi. But I promise you, her deeds shall not go unpunished."

Jean hesitantly waited for a reaction from the crowd. But after a lingering second, she got her answer.

_"__LEADER JEAN! LEADER JEAN!" _the Pokéshifters cheered, amid shouts of "For all 'Shifterkind!" and "Freedom!"

Although there were a few murmurings and mutterings, Jean was positive that she had won over most of them. Even Shugo himself acknowledged her by muttering a definite, if slightly reluctant "Okay" as he adjusted his bandanna.

The Genesect Pokéshifter, however, was beyond weary. _My role as a leader gets harder with every passing day, it seems. _Once the cheering had died down, she addressed her followers once again. "Everyone. I know you're all weary; even I'm fatigued after that battle. But we have many injured, hungry Pokéshifters within our company. I suggest you all help to build temporary shelters for the time being before eating some of your rations and then getting some rest." She waved her hand in dismissal. "If you need me, I'll be at the infirmary shelter."

She then pivoted towards her captive and the two guards. "Shugo and Shard, take Atomica to the prison shelter – it should be completed by this time. Ensure that at least one of you is guarding the entrance at any one time. I have instructed Tiziga to meet you at the shelter's entrance – her Vine Whip should keep the captive bound, but if anything occurs, inform me immediately."

"Understood, Leader Jean." Shugo had by this time picked himself up onto his feet and brushed the dust off his crisp white-and-green robes. He yanked Atomica roughly to her feet as he spoke.

Shard grasped the captive Pokéshifter's opposite flank, his mouth twisting into an easy smile. "Don't worry, Jean. She won't escape under our watch." He patted the hilt of his sheathed katana. "And by the way, I've noticed that you're a very worthy opponent, especially during that last battle. If you don't mind, I'd like to spar with you sometime!"

The Genesect Pokéshifter rubbed her temples tiredly. "Yes. Perhaps." _If I ever have enough time to even think about anything other than organising and safeguarding this group, that is._

The shadowy remnants of the night had now almost fully receded from the morning sun's glow, although the star itself was still low in the sky. As Shugo and Shard, along with all the other spectating Pokéshifters, dispersed in small clusters to finish building their shelters and to dig into their backpacks of food rations, Jean exhaled a deep sigh. _Just another day in the life of a revolutionary leader._

But it was far from over – it had, quite literally, just begun.

Instead of heading towards her own shelter, Jean dragged her aching ankles up the crags to a natural rocky alcove excavated from the mountainside. This was the strategic position in which the infirmary shelter had been constructed – within a concealed spot higher up the slope than the other shelters. The purpose of this was to safeguard the injured from potential attack by building up the other shelters on the lower slopes as a line of defence. Although an attack from Genmi was now unlikely, considering they had taken custody of their leader and had beaten many of their subordinates into emotional wreckage (the remainder had fled in terror from the battle scene), Jean still thought it necessary to take these precautions.

As the hazel-eyed Pokéshifter ascended the slope, she took a moment to glance downwards at the makeshift village her fellow Pokéshifters had helped her set up. Shelters constructed using Vine Whip and logs sliced by Cut dotted the slopes below, and smoke now steadily billowed in dark columns from at least a dozen cookfires.

_I wonder how many fifteen-year-olds know what it's like to be in charge of an entire community… Could I be the only one?_

A narrow strip of tarpaulin hung over the entrance to the infirmary – taken from a long roll of fabric that one of the scouts sent to Eterna had somehow managed to acquire. It was rather useless in effect, but at least it gave the patients of the infirmary a little privacy. Jean hesistantly pushed back the textile doorway, preparing herself for the worst as she entered.

The interior of the shelter reeked of the sterile stench of Potions and various other medical items. A bitter tang was also stirred into this soup of medicinal miasma – someone was clearly mixing up some herbal remedies. The walls on all four sides were constructed from rows of split logs held together with Vine Whip bindings – but unlike the other shelters, which were tepee-shaped and lacked a proper roof, the ceiling of the infirmary was a veritable meadow of plant life. Moss, grass and large leaves - all foraged from the forest - formed the roof, and were supported by a tightly woven net of Vine Whip strands. Jean thought of it as amazing that Tiziga the Tangrowth Pokéshifter had been able to intricately weave the vines together to create a fishnet-like structure – but then she supposed that manipulating vines were like second nature to her.

Blankets and sleeping bags that had once belonged to Genmi subordinates or to Eterna City shop owners were arranged around the shelter in two parallel lines. There were sixteen in total, and although the amount of injured far exceeded that amount, only those who were in a critical condition had been admitted into the infirmary. The others had suffered mainly minor cuts and bruises that could easily be cured by a meal and a few hours' rest. However, these Pokéshifters…

Many of them were bandaged up tightly in order to obscure their bloody wounds, barely able to sit up as they sipped Sitrus Berry tea or herbal stews. Jean passed Piko on her left as she strolled down the aisle. The wounded Houndoom Pokéshifter was glaring disgustedly at the Energy Root broth that Brooke held in her hands. The Dieno Pokeshifter was rather unsuccessfully attempting to coax the unwilling Dark/Fire-Type into drinking it.

"Please, Piko…" Brooke pleaded, her voice as soft as a whisper. "You'll need to drink this, or you won't recover from your injuries…"

Piko weakly swiped at the cup cradled within Brooke's hands as if she were trying to spill it over. "Ew! No way! Can't she just give me a Potion or something?"

"Er… maybe. I guess you could ask her…"

The Houndoom Pokéshifter stuck her tongue out. "Forget it. Just give the Arceus-damned thing to me." She held her hand out to receive the medicine.

Brooke nodded wordlessly before placing the cup within the palm of Piko's hand. The short-haired Pokéshifter drained the pale beige-yellow liquid within in a single swig, her face folding into a grimace afterwards. "Ugh, I think I might puke… So… ugh… bitter…"

_Those two have become incredibly attached to each other since their return from Eterna, _observed Jean. _I heard that Brooke had to leave her own friend behind in order to join our cause… so perhaps that is the reason… But still. Piko isn't the most hospitable Pokéshifter I have encountered. The two go together like Fire and Water…_

Jean managed to pull her hazelnut gaze away from the pair of them. _I wonder… I've known Pokéshifters that I saw as allies, but I've never once had a true _friend_. One Pokéshifter that I could be perfectly honest with… one that I could rely on for everything… Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever met anybody like that…_

The Genesect Pokéshifter was in such deep thought she almost collided into the silken-haired girl before her.

The girl, whom Jean remembered as the Ninetales Pokéshifter that had mysteriously shown up during the battle, didn't appear to notice her. The Fire-Type's orange-gold irises were fixed on the face of her Vulpix companion, who had, according to her, been afflicted with a badly Poisoned status after a run-in with a large group of Genmi thugs. So far, she hadn't mentioned any other details of her story – that was all she had been willing to tell Jean until the Vulpix Pokéshifter had been able to get help.

At the time, Jean didn't have the supplies necessary to deal with her problem, but luckily enough, Lucy had swooped in and offered to keep the young Vulpix Pokéshifter's health up by using Heal Pulse until the battle had blown over. Although it wasn't until they had properly organised themselves and set up camp that her Poisoning could be cured.

The girl still lay, even now, with her eyes firmly closed and a long bandage tied across her chest. The bandage had been infused with Antidote spray, and it appeared to have seeped into the wound and cleared most of the effects of the poison, although it still lingered. Beads of sweat still hung within her tousled auburn curls. The young Pokéshifter turned uncomfortably in her sleep, muttering softly, "It hurts, Big Sis… It hurts…"

Jean got the impression that if the Ninetales Pokéshifter hadn't already been kneeling down, she would have fallen to her knees in emotion at that point. Tears pricked her eyes as she leant over the Pokéshifter she saw as a younger sister. "Don't worry, Valencia. It'll be alright. Another dose of Antidote, and you'll-"

She suddenly stopped as she noticed Jean looming over the two of them.

"Oh-oh!" she spluttered suddenly, glancing up. "I-I'm sorry! I never got the chance to thank you…" She promptly bowed, flattening herself before Jean's feet before drawing herself up to her full height. "To you, I owe Valencia's life. She's everything to me. She's like a younger sister, almost-"

Jean shook her head, interrupting. "I apologise, but you should not direct your gratitude at myself. The only person you should be thanking is Lucy. It was her idea to set up this infirmary, in fact."

"Oh! Do I hear my name being called? Is someone talking about me?"

Jean whipped around to see that Lucy had materialised just behind her. As always, a good-natured, kindhearted smile was lighting up her face. Lucy, a Gardevoir Pokéshifter and the unofficial nurse of the group, was a girl in her late teens with distinctively viridian-green hair that flowed down to her shoulders, indigo eyes that held a kindly sparkle, and a trademark crimson scarf of silken fabric that was tied loosely around her neck. She had even attempted to look the part by securing another loose scrap of tarpaulin about her waist for use as an apron. The material hung down from her neck to just below her hips, exposing the black tank top and skirt that she usually wore underneath. Her arms were laden with colourful spray bottles of Hyper Potions, Full Heals and Antidotes. A wicker basket teeming with Berries also hung down from her left forearm.

As her indigo eyes met Jean's own, she beamed. "Hello there, Jean! It's good of you to drop in on us! Although…" A bead of sweat slowly rolled down her right temple. "We are a little busy at the moment…" The Gardevoir Pokéshifter inhaled, composing herself. "But at least your scouting teams brought us back plenty of medicines. The only thing I'm fresh out of at the moment are Max Revives, and-"

She was cut off suddenly as the Ninetales Pokéshifter fell gracefully to her feet. "Oh, I simply can't thank you enough! You saved Valencia's life…" She clasped Lucy's hand in her own and gazed up at her, gratitude brimming within those reddish-golden eyes. "She's everything to me, you see… Almost like family…"

Lucy simply smiled, chuckling good-naturedly as she gently let go of the other girl's hand. "I understand. I once had a younger brother and sister whom I tried to protect all the time…. Although I left them in good hands, I've never really stopped worrying about them. And there's really no need to thank me, Allegria. Helping people is what I love to do! It's something I've enjoyed doing since the moment I was born."

As she set eyes upon Valencia, her smile faded into concern. Kneeling down, she pulled back the bandage, which was dyed with an ugly purple stain from the girl's Poisoned wound. Jean noticed that the wound itself was much smaller than before, although it seemed the Vulpix Pokéshifter had not yet fully recovered.

"The good news is that she's on the way to recovery," Lucy informed Allegria reassuringly. "Another Pecha Berry broth should do the trick." She sighed. "Still… I can't believe somebody could do something so despicable… to a _child,_" she muttered, her underlying tone holding a hint of uncharacteristic anger.

"I agree," responded Allegria. "They… just jumped us from nowhere…"

After Lucy had replaced Valencia's bandage, she eased herself to her feet and, adjusting her grip on her Berry basket, strolled briskly over to the small cauldron within the far corner of the infirmary. Jean followed her, the aroma of bitter herbs becoming ever more pungent as she neared Lucy's medicine pot.

The green-haired Pokéshifter appeared to notice the grim look upon Jean's face. "Something's concerning you, Jean. What's wrong?"

"Well… I didn't come here simply to check on your handling of the wounded – and you're doing that quite well, I must say – but I… I actually came here to see someone."

"And who might that be…?" Lucy inquired. But as she met Jean's gaze, her viridian eyebrows slanted into a frown. "You mean…"

"Naomi, the Ekans… er, Arbok Pokéshifter. She fell in the battle after being defeated by Atomica Genmi herself. I have reason to believe that she's been taken here."

"Well… she _is _here, it's just…" Lucy paused as she sat down gently onto a nearby stool. She plucked several Pecha Berries from her Berry basket before tossing each in turn into the simmering water. Jean ducked to avoid getting a noseful of Revival Herb, which hung suspended on a vine from the ceiling. "She's…"

"She's _what_?" Jean demanded.

"Her injuries in the battle… brought her pretty close to death. And the shock of sudden evolution too… that seems to have sapped almost all of her energy. She's… alive. But I've found I can't bring her back to consciousness no matter what I do. I even gave her my last Max Revive. There was no response." Lucy averted her gaze ashamedly from Jean. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Jean muttered tonelessly. "You did your best."

"But you were the one who saved her, Jean," Lucy replied in an attempt to console the Genesect Pokéshifter. "Jumping in like that to take on Atomica Genmi alone… That's… that's admirable. You're truly courageous. You're worthy of being called a leader. I know some Pokéshifters don't think that way, but that's what I personally think."

_The only reason why you and the others follow me is because I liberated them from Genmi, _Jean thought, unconvinced. _I'm not any sort of great leader. It's not in my nature. If I was a great leader, we wouldn't even _have_ all these injured Pokéshifters on our hands._

_Also, I'm beginning to get slightly sick of the title "Leader Jean"._

However, the Genesect Pokéshifter spoke none of this. "Lucy, all you need to tell me is where I can find her."

As said Pokéshifter spoke, she began prodding the swelling pink Berries with the back of her mixing spoon. "Because she's comatosed, we gave her a separate bed out back so no-one can disturb her." She indicated another tarpaulin-covered door cut into the rear wall of the infirmary. "She's in the shelter just behind that door."

Jean nodded in thanks before marching towards the tarpaulin flap. She emerged into the dusky darkness of the natural alcove, which was illuminated solely by a single torch, lit from a Fire-Type's Flamethrower. Golden light was thrown by the flames onto the tepee-like shelter that Lucy had described.

The vast walls of the alcove vaulted overhead, forming several stalactites which loomed out of the shadows above. Jean's booted footsteps reverberated off these walls, creating an eerie tempo as she approached yet another tarpaulin-covered door. She snapped the flap back rapidly before poking her head into the gloom.

Keen hazel eyes dialated, adjusting to the minimal light levels. A few bars of lighting cast by the torch streamed through the gaps between the logs, falling onto the gaunt features of the other Pokéshifter.

Naomi the Arbok Pokéshifter lay face-upwards on a soft blanket, her long mauve locks intertwining beneath her body like a purple web. Her mainly dark-purple attire hung in rags across her arms, legs and abdomen, in some places stained almost black by dried blood. Those golden snakelike eyes with those distinctive slit pupils could not be seen; her eyelids were firmly closed over them.

_It's strange seeing her face when it's not covered with a churlish scowl or a complacent smirk, _Jean reflected. _She looks so calm… almost peaceful. And that's not an adjective that can usually be applied to her._

Jean initially knelt down about a metre away from Naomi, but slowly inched closer towards the Poison-Type until she was right beside her.

_That memory… it's so vivid. I can't expunge it from my mind…_

It had all happened within a heartbeat. Jean hadn't even taken notice of Naomi's brawl with Atomica until that blinding illumination, shining brighter even than the sun, it seemed, lit up the dark forest. But soon after Naomi's Ekans form had evolved into a majestic Arbok, Jean had witnessed an enraged Atomica shift before her very eyes.

The Genesect Pokéshifter had been preoccupied at the time, involved in her own fight against a Genmi subordinate's Purugly. After quickly dispatching the Purugly and its Trainer, she rushed over, but at this point she was too late.

Naomi had been afflicted with so many slash wounds, the Shadow Claw marks had impacted on her human body as well as her Pokemon form. She had lain there, barely conscious, with her eyes fixed on a certain point in the forest canopy above. Ice crystals had covered large swathes of her body in a thick, partially broken carapace; as the rest of her exposed body had been drenched almost entirely in her own blood.

It was all Jean could do to jump in and use Protect before Atomica could strike her again – although it seemed that Naomi was pretty much on the brink of death anyway. With a few decisive X-Scissors and one Flash Cannon, Jean had managed to defeat Atomica Genmi for the second time – although the leader of Genmi's Sinnoh Division hadn't gone down without a fight. Jean had a few scars of her own to prove it.

Lucy had used Heal Pulse on Naomi immediately at the scene, and from then on, everything had dissolved into chaos. Many Genmi grunts had fled the scene at that point. Shugo and Shard had been instructed to guard the unconscious Atomica as a hostage, and the entire group had rapidly moved out.

Sighing deeply, the Genesect Pokéshifter returned to the present. She stared at Naomi, who for all appearances seemed dead – she didn't even seem to be breathing. But by touching one finger to Naomi's jugular vien, she found she could still feel the blood within circulating dutifully to a constant beat. She was most definitely alive.

"Alive, but comatosed," Jean muttered bitterly. "And even a Max Revive couldn't awaken her…"

She sighed again. "I didn't… come here to help you. I don't know how to, though I sincerely wish I did. Lucy is the resident medic of this group. I'm just the dysfunctional leader who doesn't know a thing about keeping a group of freedom-fighting Pokéshifters together." She glanced downwards. "You… you were right. I'm not fit to be a leader of any sort of outfit or organisation. The other Pokéshifters speak pretty words, but at heart, they don't mean it."

Jean's gaze snapped back to the Arbok Pokéshifter's face. "What I want you to know… Just in case… you never wake up… is that… I never despised you, even though it must've seemed that way. I was simply frightened. In fact, I was scared out of my exoskeleton that you would cold-heartedly betray us to your former associates. But I suppose… for me, at least… and for many other Pokéshifters… it's natural. Fear is an integral part of our daily lives. I know that you feel fear too, however much you may try and conceal it. For a Pokéshifter, feeling this fear, this paranoia… is the only way to survive.

"But this fear is what prevents us from properly uniting. Pokéshifters are simply too afraid to place unquestioning trust in one another. I need to break this barrier of fear. If I don't, Genmi will prevail, and that despicable organisation can continue to indiscriminately abuse, experiment on and torture Pokéshifters…"

Jean stood up as far as the low ceiling of the shelter would allow. "To do that, I must break my own paranoid suspicions. We've all done things in the past that we regret, that we wish we could change... but we have to forget about others' previous misdeeds, and not hold it against them so long as they are well and truly committed to starting anew. The fact is… The fact is that I'm a Pokéshifter, and you too are a Pokéshifter. We're on the same side. We stand by each other, until the conclusion of this war."

The Genesect Pokéshifter whipped around before she could be tempted to glance back. She had one hand on the tarpaulin when something made her freeze in her tracks.

"F-F-Frinos…"

Jean stumbled back over to Naomi, to be certain she hadn't imagined that sound.

A definite change had come over the Arbok Pokéshifter. Her lips were now slightly parted; her eyes clamped even further shut. Moreover, her entire body from head to tie appeared to be vibrating.

And then her lips moved.

"Frinos… Please forgive me… You know I… You know I didn't… I was just… I'll do anything… Just, please… Give me this one chance… No… No…" And then, Naomi unleashed a blood-curling scream from the depths of her lungs which echoed back and forth between the vaulted walls of the alcove: _"NOOOOO!"_

Jean stumbled backwards, falling hard on her rear. It took her a moment to notice that Naomi was now bolt upright, and her eyes, reflecting the dim light beyond the shelter, were wide open.

She breathed heavily, her eyes swivelling erratically around the room, but they finally locked onto Jean. "You… Who are you? Where's… where's Frinos?"

"F-Frinos is… gone," Jean stammered impulsively, her body jittery with shock.

At first, Naomi stared at her uncomprehendingly. And then she spoke the jagged fragments of a broken sentence.

"I-I-I a-am… I… am… Am… I… d-d-dead?"

* * *

Foggy moonlight encased the city of Cyllage in a deep twilight as the fading vermillion beams of sunlight on the horizon were engulfed by shadow.

A nearby streetlamp flickered ominously as three teenagers passed directly under it. All three of them carried heavy backpacks bulging with supplies. Brisk, insistent footsteps accompanied their loud and rather shrill conversation.

"Where in Houndoom's realm _is_ he? This is all _your _fault, Leone, for sending him off on his own to find that fucking Pokémon Centre!" Avia the Wartortle Pokéshifter yelled indignantly. "I don't know what you did, but you've somehow made him disappear into thin air! It's been three hours and we haven't heard from him!"

Leone abruptly stopped in her tracks and rounded on Avia. "I've had it up to here with you blaming me for everything!" she exploded. "I know that Hydrus is a powerful Swampert Pokéshifter. I had no doubt that he could take care of himself on a solo mission. And if _you _thought he couldn't handle it, then why didn't you just go along with him?"

"Because I was busy haggling with some old sailor geezer down by the docks to exchange our ship for a decent price, at _your _behest," the Wartortle Pokéshifter replied, her indigo eyes rolling behind her glasses. "Duh."

It was at that point that Jubilee intervened – the peace-loving neutral party within the conversation. "Aw, come on, you two! You're not going to help Hydrus by arguing. We all need to"- she paused suddenly, twirling acrobatically before striking an ostentatious pose -"COLLABORATE!"

Leone and Avia simultaneously slammed their hands over their ears, but the happy-go-lucky Ludicolo Pokéshifter didn't appear to notice that her voice was rupturing their eardrums.

"Now! What we three need to do is work together to find Hydrus." She placed her index fingers against her temples. "We need to combine our minds and our might to search for him! And that involves NO ARGUING!" She waggled her forefinger at them. "Nuh-uh. No arguing allowed."

This time, Leone directed her explosive anger at Jubilee, with Avia joining in a chorus of exasperation. "That's what we're _trying _to do, Jubilee!"

The Torterra Pokéshifter sighed deeply. "But, realistically… where _haven't _we looked? We've scoured pretty much the entire city for him! We've checked the Pokémon Centre. No sign of him whatsoever. We even went into that Arceus-damned bike shop, even after you said he doesn't know how to ride a bike!"

"Yeah," Avia muttered, for once in agreement. "And then we searched the Gym, only to get kicked out once Grant found out that we weren't there to challenge him."

"Hmmm…" Jubilee murmured, drawing out the syllable for as long as she could. "There's got to be_ somewhere_ we haven't looked…"

"I don't think so," Leone grumbled immediately. "Something's up. Otherwise he would've met us back at the dock ages ago. He might not even be in the city anymore…"

_I wonder… _the Torterra Pokéshifter mused as she stared into the starlit sky above, _could Hydrus have been our double-agent? The fact that he disappeared so suddenly is definitely pretty suspicious… and _someone _had to have been spying on us that day in Floaroma, when we decided to get a ferry from Sandgem to Cyllage…_

Leone's thoughts were interrupted when she felt Avia's eyes on her back. Swivelling around, she met with a gaze so intense, a grimace so profound, that for a moment she was uncertain as to whether she was looking at the same Wartortle Pokéshifter.

Avia suddenly thrust her face towards Leone's, and, despite the difference in height between them, managed to make the taller girl feel almost belittled under her gaze. "We _will _find Hydrus," she insisted, almost threateningly. "And I won't let anyone tell me that I won't. The whole point of the Watershifter Trio is that we stay together. We're a trio, bound together in the same way as the H20 molecules are bound within a solid ice cube. Nobody should be able to change that. And so I won't ever give up, and neither will Jubilee, until we find him." She took a deep breath, edging away from Leone and breaking eye contact. "Also… I owe him my life, practically. I was just a Squirtle Pokéshifter back then, ignorant to the horrors of the world. And then… My hometown of Pacifidlog was ruthlessly destroyed by Team Aqua. I fled on my own four flippers, but I was practically half-dead by the time I had arrived in Slateport City. That was where I met Hydrus, and, well…" She turned on her back. "Forget it. That's all you need to know."

Leone was stricken. She didn't quite know how to respond to that. True, practically her entire family had been slaughtered by Genmi, so she could relate… but her entire hometown? That would have been like erasing the memories of somebody's childhood… The good, the bad, everything. All washed away.

_The three of them are like a family, _she reasoned. _Just like… just like how the Pokéshifter Squad used to be, when we were all still living together. And the only family they have left…_

_Is each other…_

Jubilee strolled over to place a palm of consolation onto the Wartortle Pokéshifter's narrow shoulder. "We _will _find him, Avia," she assured her brightly. "I _know _we will! Especially now that I've found a clue!"

"A wh-whaat?" Avia and Leone gasped simultaneously.

The Ludicolo Pokéshifter happily pranced several paces down the tarmacked boulevard before swiftly stopping beside a bench. Or rather, the remains of a bench that looked as if it had just been sliced apart by an inexperienced woodcutter using a blunt chainsaw.

A circular Spike trap of splinters littered the area in a wide radius, but what was actually interesting lay at the centre of the blast zone, where Jubilee pointed, smiling.

"Wait a second… are those…?"

"Holy Arceus!" Avia yelped. "Those are…"

"The footprints of the Pokémon Swampert," Jubilee filled in helpfully. "How's that for a clue?"

As Leone stared at those heavy indents on the pavement, she knew it had to be true. Swampert's footprints were easily distinctive among Pokémon; large, flat, three-toed; and unless there happened to be another Swampert within the city of Cyllage, this footprint had to be his.

_But something's not quite right here. Yes, Hydrus was probably here. But he isn't now. And those are the only set of Swampert footprints around. He must've left the area in his human form. But what made him shift…?_

Avia answered that question for her. "True enough. Hydrus was here. But it looks as if he was involved in some sort of fight…"

Jubilee's smile didn't quite diminish, but it definitely wavered. "F-fight? Well, he's pretty tough, so he should be alright… right?"

Now even Jubilee seemed almost convinced that things were most definitely _not _alright.

As a light breeze swept along the seafront like a zephyrous rake, the acrid, pungent stench of burnt rubber hit Leone's nostrils.

"Hey…" Avia muttered, sniffing, "do you two smell that…?"

The scent had wafted over from the burnt-out skeleton of what had once been a van. Although the flames had now mostly guttered out, a pulsating orange glow could just be seen through the van's broken windows.

Coupled with the darkness and the charred sides of the vehicle, no insignia could be made out on the van, but Leone took it as a bad sign.

_But what does all this _mean? Leone questioned. Not for the first time, she wished Haku and his brilliant Alakazam mind were on hand to puzzle these ambiguous clues out. _Hopefully, it's not who I think it is…_

As the three of them simply stared at the scorched hunk of metal in silence, the air above them was suddenly pierced by a high-pitched _"Togi togi!"_

"Huh…?" Leone recognised that sound, that cry. Glancing directly upwards, she caught the pale figure of a gliding Togetic framed in the moonlight. "It's Akari!"

Akari had last appeared a couple of hours ago to relay the news that Cyllage City was (or at least appeared to be) free of imminent danger. Since that time, she, Sphaera and Somber had also been involved in the search for Hydrus. But it seemed that they too had come across something, and something important. Akari was flying desperately, putting every joule of energy she had into every flap of her wings.

The Togetic Pokéshifter practically collapsed to the ground as she shifted. She staggered forwards, gasping from exertion. She brushed a few wild blonde locks out of her face before speaking. "It's… it's really bad," she gasped breathlessly in her characteristic whisper. "Somber and Sphaera… are in trouble… Genmi found us… They need… urgent help and… my Safeguard wasn't enough…" She bent over, though Leone could not tell if it was in exhaustion, shame, or both. "…to protect them. I'm sorry, Leone-"

"Don't be!" Leone yelled. "Just tell us where they are, pronto!"

"They're not far," Akari mumbled. "I-I can show you if you need me to…"

"Don't exert yourself," Leone snapped. "Just hop on my shoulder in Pokémon form and take us there."

Akari obliged rather meekly. But it was obvious she was incredibly fatigued; she only just managed to heave her Togetic body into a perching position atop the Torterra Pokéshifter's left shoulder.

"Right then. Let's-"

"What about Hydrus?" Avia interrupted demandingly. "Didn't I tell you that I was never going to give up until I found him?!"

"We… we don't have time for that right now! We've got to-"

"_We don't have time?! _Well, how about I don't have time for _your _shit?! I couldn't care less about those other Pokéshifters. I don't even know them anyway! And if I'm the only one who cares about Hydrus, I guess I'm going to have to find him by myself!" She rapidly turned tail and began walking briskly in the opposite direction, only to have her path blocked by Jubilee.

For the first time, the Ludicolo Pokéshifter looked genuinely serious. "Are you sure you want to do this, Avia? What if you go out on your own, and _you _get kidnapped? Then nobody wins! But I promise you, Avia, if you stick with us, we'll find him." A small smile touched her lips. "Because that's what _teamwork _is all about! Sometimes, you can't get through on your own. Sometimes, you need to stick by your friends, or it won't work out as well as you might think…"

"Avia, I need a split-second decision from you," Leone intervened. "Will you come with us, or will you go?"

Avia turned to face Leone. It was bright enough for the Torterra Pokéshifter to make out the tracks tears had carved down Avia's freckled cheeks before she had rubbed them away.

"I'll come."

A half-smile lit up Leone's lower face. "Great. Let's get moving."

The next few minutes were a total blur. The colours of nighttime Cyllage – yellow and green bikes stacked on long metal racks, whitewashed houses with brick-red roofs, and pale yellow streetlights – all blended into an indiscernable scribble. The only thing that existed for Leone in extreme clarity was the sound of Akari's soft voice, guiding her with a series of high-pitched tweeting noises that her mind just managed to translate into directions.

_"__You need to turn right here, and, um, I think-"_

Leone swerved sharply to her right, so abruptly she ran almost parallel to the ground. As she straightened up, her eyes fell upon a scene of utter chaos.

A pool of greyish uniforms clustered around the centre of a wide, slate-paved plaza, from which a ruckus worthy of an Exploud symphony emanated. Bolts and flashes of illumination lit up the sky as Pokémon moves were unleashed. Leone counted ten… no, twelve Genmi subordinates within the inner cluster, but at least six more hung about around the outskirts, guarding odious-looking black vans. Leone clocked that they were Genmi immediately; she'd have recognised that ugly purplish logo emblazoned on their chests anywhere.

_That's just our luck, isn't it? First night in Kalos, and Genmi are already onto us. Though considering we have a spy in our midst… I guess it's no surprise, really, _thought Leone, reflecting on the irony of their situation. _Even though we fled to Kalos to try and avoid them, it's like they were here waiting for us all along…_

Sphaera and Somber were in the centre of the fray, and as Akari had described, they were most definitely struggling.

Somber the Umbreon Pokéshifter had been badly wounded; blood stained the paving stones beneath him in crimson splatters. He was still in his Pokémon form, however – which indicated that he had not given up the will to fight just yet. He writhed desperately in an attempt to find his footing, but the slick blood coating his paws caused him to slide and skitter.

Sphaera was faring better, though not by much. Cuts and bruises dealt her by her opponents' Pokémon covered every inch of her exposed skin, and despite her tough stance, the Lucario Pokéshifter was obviously wearing down. The arm that was wounded in her last fight had not yet fully recovered, and was clearly causing her pain with every impact. And yet she fought on.

Balling her paws into fists, Sphaera readied herself for another attack. Her fists glowed in a fiery orange-brown hue, ready to unleash a flurry of punches in a rapid Close Combat attack. She taunted her opponents using the guttural growling noises that many Lucario use to communicate. _"If you want to hurt my friend again, you'd best take me down first," _she snarled. _"I'll bleed out my last drop of blood before I hand Somber over to you!"_

"I think it's time I end this," Leone announced solemnly. "Akari, Avia, Jubilee, stand back."

The Torterra Pokéshifter transformed instantaneously. She then focused her energy up through the xylem of the tree growing atop her broad shell and into its leafy pinnacle. She closed her eyes and relaxed for a second, allowing the Grass-Type energy to build until her entire body vibrated. A verdant glow encased the top of her tree as the Leaf Storm built up and then –

Leone never got to use her move. A sudden force, like an invisible freight train, ploughed right past her, uprooting her colossal Torterra body and giving her such a shock that she abruptly snapped back to human form.

She felt her shoulder crunch as she hit the top step of the staircase leading down into the plaza. Her vision blurred for a moment before refocusing. Grimacing in pain, she just managed to sit up far enough to see at least some of what was going on.

The stampeding Pokémon that had collided with her was now nothing but a forest-green blur which sliced through the press of Genmi subordinates before they even knew that they were under attack. Many of them were tossed into the air along with their Pokémon from the impact of a powerful Take Down.

From then, on, it was simply chaos. The scene within the plaza was reduced to a colourful tangle of legs, wings, arms and heads, kicking up dust as they all attempted to flee the scene. And in the midst of it all was Sphaera, still in her Pokémon form, protectively clutching Somber's injured body close to her own. Her face was painted with an expression of utter confusion; she seemed just as puzzled as Leone felt.

But the blitz was not yet over. A crackle of electricity thundered through the area as the attacking Pokémon circulated the plaza, unleashing a Wild Charge as it did so. Yet more grunts were blasted into the air above, which soon became filled with the screams and bodies of wildly flying people and Pokémon.

It was only once the merciless barrage was over and Genmi had retreated that their mysterious ally materialised out of the dust. It was a huge, four-hoofed Pokémon with two undulating horns that shone as glossy as obsidian. It skidded to a halt so rapidly, orange sparks danced beneath its hooves as it braked.

"That Pokémon… It's a Gogoat…" Avia muttered informatively. "Another native species of Kalos…"

_Trust Avia to know her Kalos Pokémon trivia, _thought Leone as she eased herself to her feet, clutching her aching shoulder as she did so.

Meanwhile, Sphaera stared at the Gogoat unblinkingly. "Th-thank you," she murmured, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

The horned Pokémon responded by bowing its head in an almost human-like fashion. Leone frowned. _This Pokémon… could it be…?_

As if in reply to her thoughts, the Gogoat suddenly morphed into the form of a dark-eyed, dark-skinned woman with a cascading waterfall of curly moss-green hair running down her back. She was rather tall, and appeared to be in her mid-forties. However, her eyes – unfathomable pools of a brown so rich and deep it was almost black – were ageless.

She glanced around, as if surveying each of them in turn. When her gaze fell upon Akari, the young Togetic Pokéshifter averted her eyes bashfully. Eventually, those abyssal brown depths settled upon Leone.

"I apologise for my intrusion…" she began, "but I sincerely wish to help you. You are all Pokéshifters, yes? And I see that you have some wounded…" She glanced apologetically at Somber's frail form. "Listen. It isn't safe for you at the Pokémon Centre. But I can take you somewhere Genmi shouldn't be able to find us."

Leone stood, speechless. She half-wanted to scream at this woman, to tell her that her help wasn't needed and that she had stolen Leone's chance to counterattack. But she didn't hold back just out of general politeness. This woman, this Pokéshifter, seemed geninuenly trustworthy. Her dark eyes transmitted nothing but sympathy and urgency towards Leone. Although this complete stranger had suddenly and mysteriously appeared out of the blue to help them - almost as if she had been lying in wait - Leone found that she just couldn't feel suspicion towards her.

It wasn't like the Pokéshifters had that much choice anyway. The houses around the plaza were beginning to stir – bedroom lights streamed out of slatted shutters, and inquisitive, half-tired faces were now peering out onto the scene, having been awoken by the recent commotion.

Without another word, the Gogoat Pokéshifter transformed once again and, after bucking Somber and Sphaera (who yelped indignantly) onto her back, she galloped off at a speed that seemed liable to break the sound barrier.

Leone and the remainder of their now six-strong group followed, just managing to keep in the sights of the receding dust cloud ahead as they hobbled on their lactic acid-filled legs.

_There's no rest for the wicked, huh… _she thought begrudgingly as she ran._ More like there's no rest for a Pokéshifter…_

* * *

Axalar Genmi was thoroughly bored.

She rifled through her computer's files, searching for anything vaguely interesting that could distract her from the unsightly foam-filled dome in the centre of her cieling that had once been filled with an intricate and extremely expensive stained-glass Pokémon mosaic.

Sighing softly, she leaned back smartly into her high-backed office chair. _The situation here has never been so dull. _No news had come in from Inyatis or any other team in the field, as of yet. But until it did, Axalar felt as though she deserved some quality entertainment.

_Now, what can I do to amuse myself? _Since that little event earlier with those incredibly insolent captive Pokéshifters, she had felt a burgeoning urge to settle herself once more in the driving seat… or so to speak. In other words, she wanted to see an expression of complete powerlessness and despair on another person's face, just to reassure herself that she was indeed one of the most powerful figures in the region… no, in the entire world.

_It's been too long since I've had that chance. How woeful. And this lack of news is not helping matters._

Axalar descisively rose to her feet. _Perhaps I'll pay him a visit, _she mused. _Who knows? He might actually want to cooperate with us this time. If I give him enough reason to, of course._

As she strode elegantly and smoothly across the room and out of the carved double doors, Genmi Incorporated's chief commander moved with the silence of a wraith and the authority of a queen. No grunt or guard stopped to question her as she walked briskly onwards; it was not they who asked the questions, naturally.

Upon reaching the lift, she brushed one lazy finger against the DNA scanner before the titanium-plated doors opened to admit her. The journey down to the lower basement – just five floors below the surface of the ground – took less than three seconds.

When the doors slid open once again, Axalar emerged into a perfectly cuboidal corridor with a ceiling almost twenty feet high. The walls and floor of this corridor were also constructed of titanium. The metal beneath the heels of Axalar's boots rang out in song as she sauntered purposefully down to what awaited her at the end.

A leviathan of a door loomed before the lone woman as she once again swiped her nail across the scanner and inputted three separate codes into three separate keypads. Seven massive portals opened one by one, allowing Axalar to pass each one before the previous door slammed shut behind her. With one last pneumatic sigh, the seventh door sealed itself, leaving Axalar within the room along with its one occupant.

The cell was barely lit but for a pulsating aquamarine glow that emanated from the room's centre. This same illumination bathed the prisoner's features in its harsh cyan light.

Axalar gazed upon the face of a colossal, rather muscular teenage boy who hung suspended from four points on the cell's roughly circular walls. His limbs were locked into titanium chains that extended from his wrists to his elbows, and from his ankles to his knees. These chains connected to a titanium breastplate that was fixed so tightly to his torso that it restricted his breathing. Just over his heart was fitted a single sapphire-like gem, carved with a vague inscription of the letter alpha. It was this gem that was casting the azure illumination over the teenager's body. The glow almost appeared to be paralysing him, as his body didn't move at all. He didn't so much as react upon hearing Axalar enter.

His eyes and his upper head were concealed almost entirely by a titanium helmet, but Axalar could almost feel those molten eyes on her, watching her every move. A few wild spikes of crimson hair protruded from the base of his headpiece. Beneath his breastplate, a sleeveless scarlet jacket could just be seen, its high collar reaching up to the boy's jawline. His thick burgundy trousers were looped through by a jet-coloured belt and tucked into greyish hiking boots. Red fingerless gloves encased his hands up to his titanium wrists, with a peculiar pattern emblazoned on the backs; a circle connected by three angled lines at its base.

Axalar simply took a moment to bask in awe at the sight before her. The sight of this, this almighty, legendary, Groudon Pokéshifter… and how he hung there in captivity, utterly powerless… it gave Axalar chills. Not chills of fear, or equally chills of frost; but chills of excitement and happiness.

Thanks to the Blue Orb in his breastplate, the Groudon Pokéshifter was unable to use any of his Pokémon abilities; he couldn't even shift. He was completely open to any attack that Axalar could throw at him. She could freely torture him until he begged for mercy. And he wouldn't even be able to lift a finger in response.

"Hello there, son," she greeted, almost warmly. "Do you like your new home?" She chuckled lightly as she indicated the cell. "Well, new in a sense… It's only been a month. But that's given you time to get used to it, hasn't it?" She took a bold step towards said Pokéshifter. "It's better than the outside, isn't it? Those refreshing zephyrs… the unblemished blue sky above… You probably don't even miss them, do you? I am given to understand that earth is your favourite thing… Well, son, here, you're underground. You're surrounded by it!" Axalar giggled, her laugh laced with mockery at the Groudon Pokéshifter's ironic situation. As even though he was effectively in his element, he was still completely helpless.

Recovering her breath, Axalar continued. "I'm sure you can agree that we have been most hospitable. I have no clue what sort of confines that deluded fool Maxie had concealed you in when you had been his own captive, but nothing in the world can compare, I assure you, to this state-of-the-art establishment!"

Edging ever closer, Axalar's hand shot out and tightly grasped the Groudon Pokéshifter's leg just above the knee. She could so easily freeze that leg – chill it so that his blood crystallised and his bones turned brittle, and then smash it. All it would take was one Ice Beam.

"I've quite admired your perseverance over the years, in fact," she murmured. "You always managed to find some way to elude us at every turn. Perhaps it was sheer luck, but it seems your luck has run dry. You're _our _prize now. Since you've been smuggled out of the hands of those magma-brained fools, escaped, and now finally returned to us, it is my wish that you may lead Genmi to ever greater heights…" She giggled once again. "But of course, you're afraid of heights, aren't you? Isn't that-"

Axalar was abruptly cut off as her Holo Caster suddenly emitted an irritating cacophony of digital beeps. She suddenly scowled. "Don't those imbecilic grunts know how to tie their own shoelaces?" she rumbled as she fished the device from her trouser pocket.

A holographic projection of a meek-looking Genmi grunt appeared before Axalar. "U-um… Madame Axalar, a status report has just come in from several of our agents in the field… and there's also been-"

"Is it urgent?" Axalar snapped.

"Y-y-yes-"

"Then meet me at my office and we'll discuss this face-to-face, yes?" she answered brusquely. Flicking the Holo Caster off, she turned back to the Groudon Pokéshifter. "I'm sorry to have to cut this meeting short, but don't worry, I'll soon return. Perhaps then you'll be willing to collaborate with me. And if not… well… I'll leave that to your imagination for the time being."

She strode over to the doors, but just before they yielded before her, she turned back once and muttered, "Farewell, son."

And then the doors once again sealed impregnably with a resounding click.

* * *

Tributes

-Lucy the Gardevoir Pokeshifter created by PopAndLockItYo

-Shard the Bisharp Pokeshifter created by ShardUchiha

-Shugo the Gallade Pokeshifter created by pythora


	23. Chapter 23: Twisted Parallels

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Twisted Parallels**

**_ETHEREAL CORPSE-WHITE STRINGS _****of mist **drifted ominously through the air, concealing everything but for a few hazy shadows that poked through the bleached gloom. This fog not only obscured sound – as the atmosphere was deathly silent – but also seemed to leech all colour from the skeletal branches of the trees overhead and the blades of grass beneath Frinos's trainers. The humidity was dense; oppressively heavy. The Glaceon Pokéshifter felt as though an intense force of gravity was being exerted on his body, but he could not tell if it was real or abstract.

_A place of real nightmares, huh… I guess it fits the bill, though it wouldn't exactly be my first choice for a Halloween party venue._

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Frinos murmured in a tight whisper as he skirted a boulder that came looming abruptly out of the fog. He was unwilling to raise his voice any further; something in the air told him that no good could possibly come of breaking the foreboding silence that hung over the area like a shroud. "I just get the feeling that we're walking in circles…"

"Relax, Iceboy," Koumori replied. It was impossible to see more than a vague silhouette of the Crobat Pokéshifter's form through the mist, but Frinos could instinctively tell that he was smirking. Like the Ice-Type, he kept his voice soft and hushed, though he dared to go at least a few decibels higher. "The Sinnoh Town Map never lies. Our destination lies just ahead. I can practically sense it." A short pause, and then: "Didn't we agree that you would address me as 'Master' from now on? Plus, it isn't exactly a slave's place to question his master's sense of direction or righteousness."

_Is it just me, or do I feel like strangling him more and more with every second that passes? _"Yes. That's true, _Master_," he muttered, fighting to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"Are we nearly there yet?" Asuka piped up, reminiscent of a three-year-old on a lengthy roadtrip. But for the first time, her voice sounded weary and fatigued. It seemed as though the perpetual fog had absorbed even the Espeon Pokéshifter's cheerful energy.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, we are." Koumori had halted a few paces ahead at the brink of a white abyss. In fact, Frinos hardly noticed the drop until he was right beside it. The ivory shroud swallowed everything that lay below, but if he watched and listened carefully, the Glaceon Pokéshifter found that he could glimpse a slight disturbance in the fog below – an aquatic ripple – and that he could hear the very faint trickling sound that indicated moving water. "Welcome to Sendoff Spring," the Crobat Pokéshifter announced triumphantly.

_Sendoff Spring. So, this is it. The hidden fourth lake of Sinnoh that I've heard so much about. _Koumori had clearly done his research. Either that, or he had been here before. Frinos didn't think he would notice the lake if it had jumped up and pinched his tail; even as he gazed into its obscured depths, he found himself doubting its existence.

"So, where to now? Where's that mystical space-time cave of yours? …Master."

"The cave has a name." Koumori's dark orbs met Frinos's chestnut gaze, a rather dubious grin covering the lower portion of the former's face. "_Turnback _Cave."

Even without Koumori's constant emphasis on the word, the cave's name spoken aloud sent neural spikes of trepidation down his spine. _Turnback Cave. Sendoff Spring. The names are like warnings. They're urging us to turn back, leave and never return._

Frinos had had a few doubts about this ridiculous, whimsical operation throughout the journey, but he hadn't given them much thought until now. Everything had happened so quickly. After packing up his meagre belongings (which consisted of his empty ration rucksack and the only bottle of water that Koumori hadn't touched), he had set off with his new companions almost immediately. They had spent the best part of that afternoon traveling. They had taken the "fastest and most efficient" method of reaching Sendoff Spring, according to Koumori, which involved Flying on the backs of Staraptor that the bounty hunter had received from his contact, a rather dubious Bird Keeper who was also somehow involved in the tracking of underworld criminals. The bird Pokémon had dropped them off at Route 214 before flapping back to their Trainer, leaving the three Pokéshifters to traverse the rest of the way on foot. That hadn't been so bad. But after they had set up camp, slept, and then awakened the following morning, they then began the next stage of their journey – Spring Path. The fog had closed in all around them halfway down the route like a vaporous dome, and it only became thicker the deeper they ventured.

_How long has it been since I last saw sunlight? What time is it now, anyway? Hell, it could be the middle of the night for all I know. _Frinos was wrapped up warmly, so the chill didn't bother him. The fact that he was an Ice-Type also helped in that regard. What truly bothered him was the sheer, sinister monotony of the place. Everything was the same, wherever he looked – he couldn't deffrentiate that boulder from that tree, or that shrub from that puddle. Everything was void.

And something told him that Turnback Cave wouldn't be any less macabre than this place.

Koumori's mist-cloaked silhouette was already fading from view as Asuka and Frinos stumbled clumsily after him down a vertiginous path that was barely wider than a Meowth's whisker. Concentrating intensely on trying not to fall into the bleached abyss, Frinos nearly had a heart attack when the Psychic-Type's clammy hand suddenly tightened around his own.

"Frinos… I'm scared," she whispered. Her voice was trembling almost as much as her fingers were. "This… this place is creepy… Don't you think so too?"

"Yeah… yeah…" Frinos mumbled, the soles of his trainers teetering over the drop as he skirted a small boulder that blocked most of the path. _I can't think of anywhere creepier. Except perhaps that Genmi laboratory back in the Battle Zone… _He slipped, his concentration breaking, as a shudder of remembrance passed through his body, and he innately gripped Asuka's hand to keep himself from falling.

The slight Espeon Pokéshifter packed a surprising amount of power in her small body, or so it seemed – she had yanked Frinos back upright before he had had time enough to cry out. "Th-thanks," he breathed, blood roaring in his ears as his heart thudded against his jacket. "You… saved my life…"

"I won't let you fall, Frinos." As Asuka spoke, her fingers locked even tighter onto the Glaceon Pokéshifter. Although he could barely see an inch in front of his face, he could have sworn that a light blush lit up Asuka's cheeks in that moment.

Frinos felt rather awkward at the contact, but made no attempt to break the hold. _It's safer this way, _he reasoned.

By some sort of miracle, the two Eeveelutions survived the descent. Koumori, who clearly had some kind of rock-climbing expertise, was waiting at the bottom with his arms folded, a familiar smug grin painted onto his face. "Congratulations to the happy couple," he greeted casually. "I'm sure we can find a suitable rock to serve as an altar in the cave."

Cheeks flushing, Frinos tore his hand out of Asuka's. "We're… we're just friends!" he insisted, shooting a knife-edge glare in Koumori's direction. Asuka herself only giggled.

"He's just teasing, Frinos…" But something in her tone seemed to suggest otherwise.

The Crobat Pokéshifter took a step forward, gesturing with his arm towards the mouth of what appeared from the outside to be a completely empty cavern. The dark, gaping hole loomed out of the mist, slicing through the shroud like a rip in the fabric of reality.

Frinos had expected to feel some sort of mystical energy emanating from the cave, considering it allegedly contained the portal to a parallel dimension. But he didn't feel so much as a cool, zephyrous current of air waft onto his face. Turnback Cave was simply an entrance into a realm of nothingness. Like a black hole, it swallowed everything that came within its reach – even the oppressive fog was engulfed by its empty aura.

_Arceus. What a place. _Frinos found himself wondering whether he'd ever return from its depths once he entered.

"My good friend and loyal servant," Koumori pronounced formally, "may I present to you the one and only Turnback Cave – the dimensional rift between our world and the other, the fabled Distortion World." He cocked a violet eyebrow at the two of them, smirk never wavering. "Let's go see if the legends are true, shall we?"

Frinos barely registered entering the cave; it seemed as though the walls had suddenly closed in around him. The atmosphere seemed different somehow – the pressure and humidity he had felt before had vanished. The fog was still there though – tendrils carpeted the floor and snaked around stalagmites and boulders, obscuring details.

_Could this really be a gap between two different dimensions? It's definitely surreal enough…_

Koumori led the way, striding slowly yet purposefully, with Frinos following and Asuka bringing up the rear. Frinos found that his footsteps made no sound on the rocky floor, and even the constant, internal sounds of his breathing and heartbeat were muted. Silence governed the cave. It seeped into every particle and infiltrated every square inch of the room, drawing every slight vibration into its endless void.

Anything beyond three feet above Frinos's head was dissolved in white, but an imposing pillar-like structure hung down from the ceiling in plain view. As the Glaceon Pokéshifter stepped closer, he noticed faint letters inscribed upon a small carved plaque near the base of the pillar. He could just make it out:

_Past three pillars…. To the sleeping… before thirty is surpassed…_

_"__To the sleeping"? The sleeping what? Things just keep getting creepier by the second…_

Although Frinos registered this broken inscription as being at least vaguely important, Koumori completely ignored it and continued, making a beeline for the western edge of the room. The Ice-Type had no choice but to follow.

"Uh… I know that it is not my place to question my master's decisions," Frinos began, hating the words as they came tumbling out of his mouth and hating himself even more for breaking the cave's oppressive silence. "But do you… do you really know what you're doing?"

"Of course," Koumori replied, suave as ever, even as his voice was reduced to a distant echo. "And it looks as if you've landed yourself a double washing-up job tonight simply for even contemplating such a notion."

_Dammit, I really, truly hate this guy. _But he continued nonetheless. "Hold up, just a minute. Have you been here before? …I'm just curious," he added.

"Oh, I know you're curious. It's perfectly natural to be, though. I do have a certain mystical Aura. And considering how little your ignorant, frustrated little mind knows about me, it's hardly surprising. A pity the situation isn't mutual… as I know quite a few things about you and your-"

"Okay, okay, no need to rub it in!" Frinos exclaimed, though his voice never rose above a whisper.

"Anyway," the Crobat Pokéshifter continued, "to answer your question, no, I have not been here before. However… I have some extremely informative and reliable sources. They usually tell me everything I need to know."

"Koumori knows everything," Asuka chimed in. "Well, almost everything," she corrected herself with a chuckle.

_Yes, he's probably more intellectual than the average Uxie, _Frinos thought begrudgingly. _But what kind of sources does he have? _He couldn't help but wonder, even though he knew it was unlikely that he would ever find out. At least, not from Koumori's lips anyway.

At that point, the conversation between the three Pokéshifters ceased, the faint echoes of their voices having been quickly consumed by the cave's ubiquitous emptiness.

Koumori briskly led them past one fog-enshrouded pillar, and then, two rooms later, another._ That makes three._

_Past three pillars… to the sleeping… _Frinos recalled. So what lay awaiting them in the next room? Drops of perspiration beaded on the Ice-Type's forehead at the thought, leeching warmth from his body as they evaporated. However, his step never hesitated. He stayed close behind Koumori as the Poison-Type disappeared into the darkness beyond the northern exit of the room, and followed suit.

What he saw in the adjoining cavern was so profoundly surreal that he halted abruptly in his tracks, causing Asuka to collide into his back. But he barely noticed the Espeon Pokéshifter – he was too fixated on the centre of the room; at the point where a beam of bluish light pierced the fog like an ethereal cerulean blade. The light shone upwards from its source, illuminating the previously-obscured ceiling. At the same time, the fog seemed to retreat from the beacon's path, dissipating and curling itself around the light as if repelled by an invisible force. The sounds of the cavern had been muted beforehand, but now the silence was absolute.

Just a few more steps, and then they would have truly entered the void.

Frinos took a deep breath.

Walking in single file, the trio ascended a short flight of roughly-carved steps until they reached the lip, the terminal boundary, between their world and the other. The three Pokéshifters fanned out around the gaping abyss that would supposedly lead them to a place spoken of only in the most obscure legends of the Sinnoh region.

Frinos literally felt as though he were standing on the edge of the universe. The gaping tunnel beneath him was an infinite dark blue, veined by pulses of crimson, cyan and yellowish light. He wasn't certain if it was his imagination, but sounds seemed to vibrate from within – the howling of an endless storm, an eerie rattling, the thunder of an avalanche, and, beneath it all, a noise uncannily similar to the shrieks and moans of one in intense pain and suffering.

And then the room was silent again.

Koumori spread out his arms, palms held up, ebony irises still intently fixed on the abyss before him. There was no need for words – Asuka and Frinos knew what he wanted them to do. They each placed a hand in one of his, latched on, and gripped tightly.

And then the world Frinos knew fell away.

He never heard himself scream, though his larynx was vibrating so much in his throat that it hurt. He didn't know if it was the wind that buffeted his body back and forth as he and his companions tumbled through the blue void, or if he had suddenly somehow lost the ability of his vocal chords.

He saw only blue, along with intermittent pulses of other colours, and felt his grip on Koumori slowly breaking as the raging storm tried to break them apart.

He then collided with something that had the hardness and texture of a rock – whatever it was, it drove all the breath out of him and left his body tingling from the impact. He rolled over onto his stomach, groaning as aches and bruises bloomed all over his body. He was glad to have stopped falling, but the surface he had landed on wasn't entirely comfortable.

_I need to get up, _Frinos thought wearily, though his body seemed reluctant to oblige. _Wait… can I even move? _The notion sent a wave of panic through him, but when he experimentally contracted his toes, he found that they moved just fine. _Phew…_

A few seconds later, the Glaceon Pokéshifter had managed to lift himself into a kneeling position, and then stood up slowly on his achingly painful, yet still fully functioning, legs.

He blinked, noticing that by some miracle, his glasses had stayed on his nose throughout the entire ordeal. The only problem was that one of the lenses now had a large, raggedly vertical crack running across it, meaning that the image his left eye now viewed was broken and somewhat distorted. _Small price to pay, _he mused. _I could just as well have died falling down here._

He briefly surveyed his surroundings for any sign of his friends. He appeared to be standing near the edge of a rugged, rocky cliff. Boulders were strewn about the area and spiky stalagmites lined what appeared to be a narrow path, which snaked off into a small canyon in the distance and from then on into a thick tangle of phthalo-green forest. As he carefully approached the edge of the cliff, he noticed that it wasn't in fact a cliff at all but more of a rugged platform, floating independently of gravity. The drop simply led down into bluish aether, with the vague shadows of other, similar platforms dotted around haphazardly. But there was no sign of either Asuka or Koumori.

_Perhaps I simply can't see them from where I'm standing. _He tried shouting their names – "Asuka! Koumori! Master! Are you okay?" – but the sound simply reverberated into nothingness without reply.

Pivoting around, Frinos almost stumbled over backward as he came face-to-face with yet another surreal sight. A tiered mountain of rock rose up above him, and about seven feet up the slope, a vaguely circular portal hung as if sliced from the fabric of the universe itself. Frinos noticed the vague outline of Turnback Cave within the portal, though it was hard to make out through the swirling fog.

_So I fell through that onto here, huh? No wonder I'm bruised. _For a brief moment he wondered if he could possibly clamber up the portal and re-enter Turnback Cave. But he thought that unlikely. The image of the cave within the portal seemed distant, faded – as if it was merely a painting or photograph hanging on display. His fears were confirmed when he hesitantly reached up to touch the portal itself; a painful shock suddenly streaked through his arm, forcing him to instantly retract the limb. The sensation was like touching an invisible barrier of concentrated energy that prevented anyone from reaching into the cave.

"Shit," he muttered aloud as the truth crashed down on him. "We're stuck here, aren't we…"

But it wasn't long until his thoughts went back to his companions. _Where are they? Don't tell me we got separated as we fell through that Arceus-damned portal…_

The more he thought about it, the more certain he was. The realisation made him grit his teeth. _Just another day in the life of Frinos Rayong, the Glaceon Pokéshifter for whom good luck is just an illusion. _Roughly two years ago, when he lived a pampered, relaxed and carefree life in the Resort Area of the Battle Zone, he would never have imagined that he would eventually get captured and tortured by Genmi, realise that he was a Pokéshifter, and then shortly after become a fugitive - running relentlessly around the Sinnoh region with his sister and the motley crew of friends that they had picked up upon the way. And then he had lost it all again, in an instant. That had happened barely three days ago, yet it might as well have been an entire lifetime. And now he was alone for the first time in his life, cut off from everything, stuck in a strange parallel universe that didn't even seem to obey the standard laws of physics. _I'm not sure if anything I could write in my autobiography could be worse than what's already happened, _he thought, but he was also convinced that life in general was not done fucking with him just yet. Would it ever end? A part of Frinos didn't think so.

Instead of breaking down into tears or pacing up and down in panicked confusion, Frinos swallowed his roiling emotions and continued, thinking that if he kept walking, he might eventually find some way out of his predicament. He stepped warily across the platform, following the vague path to the forest ahead. _Who knows, perhaps I'll even find Asuka and Koumori there. Or at least something edible. _His last proper meal had been breakfast back at the camp outside Spring Path, and he had since eaten his way through his own rations over the course of the journey to Turnback Cave. They hadn't taken a lot of food with them, as there were only three of them and Koumori had assured them it would be a simple, brisk mission that would not take them more than two days to complete. _But of course, something was bound to go horribly wrong, wasn't it? _Frinos thought bitterly.

He had almost reached the entrance to the canyon when a sudden sound caught his attention. It was a sound that seemed alien and out-of-place in the surrounding barren landscape; the unmistakable trickling of running water.

Frinos thought of the water bottle in his rucksack, which didn't contain much more than a small splash of liquid. He was a little apprehensive – after all, whoever said that the water in the Distortion World was safe to drink? But he soon found himself diverging from the path, following the sound and the scent that came with it – the fresh, mineral odour of clear running water. His pace quickened as he began to ascend the tiered mountain, following the path that curved in a spiral from its base to its peak.

By the time he reached the pinnacle, he was sprinting breathlessly. His legs gave out from exertion as he inhaled large gulps of air – was it even air in the Distortion World? But Frinos didn't care, as his entire attention was occupied by the vast, crystalline, turquoise pool stretching out in front of and around him.

He experimentally dipped three of his fingers into the water, his body innately shuddering at the sensation. The liquid flowing through his digits felt cool and refreshing, yet not icy. Frinos brought a handful of water up to his face, forming a miniature version of the pool in the palm of his hand, and splashed it into his parched mouth. He spluttered and almost spat out his mouthful in surprise; the water had a strange, midly sweet flavour that he found difficult to describe with words. Nevertheless, he swallowed.

He waited for a full five minutes afterward to see what sort of effect the water would have on him. As he waited, he found himself gazing unblinkingly at his reflection on the placid surface of the pool that was, save for the odd ripple here and there, as flat as a pane of glass. The Glaceon Pokéshifter found he could barely recognise himself. _My hair's always been rather messy, but now it's like a Murkrow's nest… _He thought he could see traces of brownish muck and dried blood mixed in among the cerulean, as well. But what bothered him the most were his eyes… or was it the expression behind them? Perhaps it was just that cracked lens disorting the image, but Frinos couldn't shake the fact that he was frightened, or at least disturbed, by his own reflected expression.

Still, he felt no convulsions or lightheadedness, and never once felt bile rising in the back of his throat, so he assumed the water was safe to drink. Whipping out his water bottle from his bag, he filled the container to the brim and replaced the cap. The water kept its distinctive azure colouring, even in the bottle. _Weird. But it's not like I can pick and choose._

The Ice-Type was just about to get back up and continue on his way when he noticed that the water currents seemed to be tugging at his fingers, as if beckoning him. _Wait… _he mused, realisation hitting him, _I heard running water earlier… and yet… this pool is perfectly still… _Or so it seemed, until he cast his gaze upwards.

The sight was so ridiculous that he would've laughed, if he wasn't so overcome with sheer shock and confusion. But what he saw, falling – or should that have been rising? – from the pool was a huge, cascading waterfall, flowing upwards into another, similar pool high above. The sight caused Frinos to stagger, losing his sense of balance utterly. _So… is the waterfall flowing the wrong way… or am _I _upside-down? _He couldn't figure it out, and the more he thought about it, the more disorientated he got. _Ah, fuck it…_

Overcome by intrigue, Frinos dove into the pool, almost smashing his forehead on the bottom as he did so – it seemed the water was not as fathomless as it had appeared. Sure enough, he found that his body was soon being propelled towards the pool's edge, at a speed more rapid than he anticipated. He barely had time to emit a semi-stifled yell before the water carried him over the edge.

The sensation was of falling – though, due to his disorientation, he could not tell whether up or down. And then, the inevitable splash.

Frinos surfaced, gasping. Once again, the liquid in the pool guided him – this time, the force of the cascading water pushed him right up to the poolside bank, leaving him to heave himself back onto dry land. Or in this case, a dry platform.

This particular platform lacked the contours of its predecessor, but it was almost completely covered in a carpet of vibrant lime-green grass. A forbidding nest of intertangled vines towered over the verdant blades, coloured a rather macabre dark green that prevented any light from reaching beneath its boughs.

Frinos recalled the densely forested area he had spied in the distance earlier, and his stomach produced a high-pitched whine at the prospect of food. _This place will be the same, no doubt._

His ears impulsively twitched in anticipation, and his fur bristled as he realised that during his fall, he must've shifted into his Glaceon form. _Well, I guess it's good to know that I can still shift here. Even though there don't seem to be any Pokémon around… But I've spent enough time as a fugitive to know that fights often come out of nowhere, especially when you least expect them._

With that thought echoing ominously within his mind, Frinos warily advanced into the forest, briskly padding into the gloom on his four paws. A miasma of strange, otherworldly smells invaded his sensitive Glaceon nose, but mixed in among them was an oddly familiar scent.

_Is that a Lum Berry I smell…? _he mused, inhaling deeply through his nose to ascertain that it was, indeed, the coveted, all-curing Berry that was profoundly rare throughout the Pokémon world.

Frinos could barely believe his luck. He'd only ever had the chance to taste a Lum Berry twice before – twice! – in his life. And to think that his third chance would come whilst he was in an uncharted forest within a parallel dimension… _Arceus, life really is a strange thing._

The Ice-Type felt his mouth watering as he galloped, as lithely as a parading Sawsbuck, to the source of his lunch. Unlike his sister, who had adored stuffing her face with Tamato and Cheri Berries, savouring the spicy jolt that they delivered to her senses, Frinos had gone for the milder, better-rounded flavours of Berries. But everyone agreed that the Lum Berry was special. It was more than just its varied flavour; it had a soothing quality that made its consumption pleasurable in any situation – the taste caused endorphins to flow through Frinos's viens and eased the tension in all of his muscles at once. And then there was the fact that it tasted heavenly. There was always that.

No wonder it was so good at curing status issues.

Frinos found his quarry with some difficulty, after slaloming around bushes of evilly sharp thorns and vaulting over nests of tangled vines. The bright, meadow-green berries appeared to glow beckoningly in the dim lighting. They were suspended from wiry, undulating vines instead of the bushes that were typical of his home dimension, but that didn't matter to Frinos – they were definitely Lum Berries, and they were definitely edible. That was all he and his starved stomach needed to know.

As Frinos stepped toward the vines, they suddenly disappeared.

He stood stock still for a full minute, trying to comprehend why his lunch had suddenly escaped from him, retracting into the grassy carpet as if it had never existed. _It was right there…! _Frinos almost screamed. _Right there…_

For a split second, Frinos considered that it might've been a hallucination brought on by his hunger. _No way, _he concluded. _I'm not _that_ hungry… Plus, I'm not delirious or anything like that. …Perhaps there was something in that water after all?_

But then another thought occurred to him, and he experimentally backed up to the position he was in just before the Berries began to retract out of his reach. And sure enough, the vines regrew, sprouting from the ground to form a veritable matrix of verdant cellulose, bursting with Berries. All in less than a single second. Taking a single step forward, Frinos watched as the vines retreated into the soil once again.

_Okay, okay. I'm starting to think this world really hates me._

In a different situation, perhaps if he wasn't so hungry, Frinos would have found this phenomenon fascinating, but at that moment all he wanted to do was shout and holler and seethe in agitation. _Why me?!_

And he might well have shouted and hollered and seethed in agitation, but at that point his fur spiked, his sensitive ears picking up sounds of distant conversation that were slowly, but undoubtedly, wavering closer. _Asuka and Koumori? _he thought hopefully, but he concluded almost instantly that the voices did not belong to them. As he listened closely, Frinos could pick out two distinct voices; a rather haughty, sharp female tone, and an only slightly deeper, argumentative masculine timbre.

The Glaceon Pokéshifter's body tensed. _It could be anyone. Even Genmi could've found their way into here. I mean, that portal in Turnback Cave is open to all who dare enter it… _Although he thought that unlikely, Frinos decided to conceal himself in the canopy of the vines, just to be on the safe side. As he scrambled up the nearest vine (which through some sudden stroke of luck did not immediately disentegrate at his touch), Frinos saw, through a gap in a screen of waxy leaves, three figures hover into view.

The first, who appeared to be leading the way, was a girl in her late teens, tall for her age; with a stubbornness in her step and a look of pure indignance on her face. Her head, shoulders and most of her lower back were covered in messy locks of untamed indigo hair, streaked through with neon-blue. Her left eye was invisible beneath her sideswept fringe, but the iris of her right eye shone with a heterochromial shimmer of gold and platinum. From the looks of the clothes she was sporting, she was a punkish rock-n-roll fanatic. Everything about her attire screamed "rebel" – from her ripped denim jacket and chain-belted jeans to her indigo fishnet shirt and silver necklace, which appeared to be hung with a skull crafted from blue diamond. The knee-high boots and sapphire-coloured electric guitar, which she toted over her back, completed the look.

Next to saunter into view was a scowling teenager, male this time, though perhaps a couple of years older than Frinos himself. He was of a similar height to his female companion – perhaps they were related? – as well as having the same distinguishing silver-gold eye colour. He was dressed in a more sophisticated manner, and also seemed to exude an aura of aloofness and maturity; directly clashing with the punk-rock style of his… sister? _Perhaps, _Frinos mused, not quite knowing how his mind came to that conclusion so quickly. In any case, this young man had hair of a pale lilac, short and slightly spiky, with a couple of magenta streaks. His skin was a paler hue than his companion's, who had a tanner complexion, and his body was swathed in a high-collared coat of pale rose, with a sweeping magenta hem that reached beyond his knees. The collar of a purple and lavender flannel shirt poked out from beneath his coat, and his deep violet trousers were secured to his waist by a thick brown belt. An enormous pink pearl was set in the centre of the belt, which appeared to glitter and pulse in the dappled shade. _This guy is clearly fond of wearing pearls on his clothes, _Frinos decided; as the lilac-haired teen also had small pinkish orbs set into the buckles of his boots.

The third and final newcomer hung back a little from the other two – meandering distantly, as if ensconced in some sort of brooding daydream. Her long, tricoloured hair flowed down to the small of her back; it began at the top as a deep honeycomb blonde, before diffusing to a dark greyish-black, and then finally to stark crimson at the tips. Her eyes, also coloured platinum-gold, appeared distant, and her face held no expression that was easily discernable. Her long fringe was pushed out of her face by a shiny metallic headband that constrasted against her olivine skin. She was dressed more plainly than the other two, in a simple yet flowing grey dress that reminded Frinos of a thundercloud about to burst into downpour. Numerous stains showed up in the dark fabric, and it appeared well-worn, the hems fraying at the edges. The dress was tightly secured at the waist by a crimson strip that matched the colour of her thick, heeled boots.

The diamond-punk girl was the first to resume the conversation. Now that she was closer, he realised that her voice had a booming, disorientating quality to it. Even without raising it, she seemed to have the ability to send a rippling vibration through the vine Frinos clung to with every syllable she spoke.

"Yeah, yeah. You just love to put the blame on me, don't you? You're just too much of a widdle Torchic to accept the fact that you failed. Go on. Admit it already! It was _you _that got us all into this mess. I've been trying to tell you that for the past four weeks that we've been trapped in this shitpool, but every single time you deny what you know is true!"

Her male companion scoffed. His voice, too, had a rather profound quality to it, though it wasn't as harsh as Miss Punk's. "Listen to yourself. I think a seven-year-old could have constructed a better argument than that Tauros-shit that just came spewing out from your mouth! You seem to have forgotten that it was _your _idea in the first place, leaping in to stop that bomb without a thought in your head. What were you hoping to do? Keep the whole world in suspended animation until you could figure out, with that measly bit of neural tissue inside your skull, how to dispose of a dimension-ripping bomb? Well, I'm sorry, but that task would have been impossible, even for the likes of one as egotistical as you."

A chill ran through Frinos at the mention of "dimension-ripping bomb", his fur crystallising as he recalled the reason as to why he came here in the first place. _These three… could they really be…?_

"Yeah, so maybe I leapt towards that bomb without really thinking about it, but I'm sure you were doing the same at that point, so you can't really talk now, can ya? You're nothing but a fucking hypocrite, Payerlk, and that's all you ever were! I was merely rushing to the aid of my comrades when they needed it, and I don't see what's so bad about that! I was trying my best to control the situation, but all _you _did was mess everything up with your fancy wacko space-distortion skills. And look what that did for us!"

At that point, Payerlk, who was clearly struggling to restrain his fury, abruptly stopped walking and rounded on his companion. "So that's what you think happened, then, huh, Dymonde?" he seethed. "You think you don't need my help when you're playing the big, grandiose hero that you see yourself as? Well, if my abilities are so good at "messing things up", perhaps I could use them to disort your face a little? It's not like it was ever pleasing to look at in the first place!"

Things were really intensifying now. Dymonde appeared to have become even more agitated by that threat, and responded by returning the favour threefold. "Oh, yeah?" she boomed. "That's fine by me. Use any move you like, spaceboy! Whatever happens, it's going to end with me using Roar of Time to knock you into next week. Literally!"

Payerlk smirked pugnaciously. "There you go again. Always proving my points. You're nothing but a bad record stuck in a groove, like the repetitive clanging of that heavy metal artist you love so much. Speaking of whom, you never seem to stop banging on about him either-"

The expression on Dymonde's face could be likened to a nuclear fusion bomb set to explode. "Say that again," she insisted, threateningly calm. "I dare you to insult my Met-Met one more time-"

"By all means, feel free to fight," a new voice chimed in. It was the third, eerily silent member of the trio, who seemed to have finally broken out of her stupor to acknowledge what was going on around her. Her tone, although flawlessly smooth and placid, sliced right through Dymonde's speech like a laser beam through a sheet of steel. "Who knows…? Perhaps the resultant energy will be enough to tear a portal in the fabric of time-space, allowing us to escape. And if you two are gracious enough to kill each other in the process, you'd be saving me and the rest of the world a lot of unnecessary trouble." Unlike the other two, she didn't have to raise her voice to gain attention – all she had to do was simply speak, and then all eyes immediately focused on her. Frinos then realised that he had practically forgotten that she had existed during Dymonde and Payerlk's aggressive conversation. It was like she had blended soundlessly into the background… before suddenly leaping out and making her move.

The two arguers seemed just as surprised as Frinos to notice her there. "You… what in Arceus's name are you doing, Platrisse? Sneaking up on us like that… one day you'll give me a heart attack!" Dymonde exploded.

"My, my," Platrisse uttered sarcastically, "how tragic would that be? And for that, I apologise. It's a bad habit, I know, but one that's rather difficult to get rid of." The olive-skinned teenager exhaled deeply, leaning casually against a nearby vine. Reaching upwards, she plucked a Lum Berry from an overhanging tendril and popped it in her mouth.

The action caused Frinos to bristle with jealousy. _What gives her the right to go picking Berries left right and centre when I couldn't touch a single one? Is she controlling those vines somehow?_

"You shouldn't be acting so nonchalant," Payerlk retorted. "_You're _the one who sealed us inside here in the first place! I mean, Dymonde made her own contribution, but as a Giratina Pokéshifter, shouldn't you be able to freely move between the Distortion World and the outside? The very fact that you can't makes you truly pathetic."

"For once, I agree," Dymonde stated begrudgingly. "You can't even use your own powers without trapping us inside some messed-up version of Limbo!"

Platrisse sighed. "So now _I'm _the one to blame? I don't know how you two are so blind to the truth. _All _of us are responsible for landing ourselves in here. The temporal-spatial distortion, coupled with my own space-warping abilities, meant that we are now unable to leave this dimension… But I'm no more pathetic than the Giratina in the traditional legends of Sinnoh, if you think about it." She cast a penetrating gaze over her two companions. "Professor Manipolo told us that in one version of the legend, Giratina was banished from our home dimension by Arceus and was incarcerated in the Distortion World. Therefore, the Distortion World would have been created specifically to hold Giratina, and by that logic, it makes perfect sense that I can't escape from it right away… But…"

"But what?" pressed Dymonde.

"Well, why don't you ask him?" the Giratina Pokéshifter suggested.

Frinos felt so giddy, he barely comprehended Platrisse's words. He couldn't believe it. He had found his quarry. Saturn's report _was _the truth – or so it seemed. But in any case, he was standing within the ten-metre vicinity of a real-life Giratina Pokéshifter. _Holy fucking Arceus…_

"Him?" Payerlk repeated questioningly. "Who do you-"

"Why, the Glaceon who's been sneakily eavesdropping in the leaves above us. Who else?" Platrisse uttered, decidedly snapping her fingers.

Frinos felt his stomach lurch sickeningly as he fell, face-first; the vine having disintegrated beneath him. It happened so quickly, he had no time to yell or otherwise react, but his body seemed to shift of its own accord. He had a surprisingly soft landing; it took him a moment to realise that he had fallen straight into Platrisse's arms.

"Oh, my bad," Platrisse deadpanned as she held Frinos's stunned body aloft, Payerlk and Dymonde staring at him with globe-shaped eyes.

"I meant to say that he was a Glaceon Pokéshifter."


	24. Chapter 24: Between The Stones

**Here you go! A glorious two-chapter update.~ I apologise for the delay, but now that I'm on holiday, I should be getting into a regular updating schedule for this story from now on. I update all my stories monthly (or at least, that is my aim), and this one is no different. The next chapter (that is, the 26th chapter) should hopefully be coming out in the first week of August, so I guess I'll be seeing you again then.**

**These two chapters were originally planned to be just one chapter, but I ended up writing so much on each character POV that I decided to split them into two. Anyway, I hope you enjoy both of them, and feel free to praise and critique each as you like.~ Also, let me know what you think of this style, of writing one character POV per chapter. I think I prefer it to my previous method of writing two or three different character POVs per chapter, but feedback would be welcome.~**

**Thank you for all your reviews! They are much appreciated, as are the one follow and two favourites.~ I did notice one person trying to send in a character form, so I'll just put it out there that I am no longer accepting forms on either this story or the original, so just bear that in mind. The story is approaching its climax now, so you'll probably be seeing a lot less of the character introductions from now on.**

**One last thing: I am aware that this story isn't perfect and the earlier chapters, especially, are probably in need of refining. A rewrite is probably in order, but because I don't want to disrupt my current flow, I'll be holding it off for now. If you have any particular thoughts on that, be sure to let me know.~**

**Anyway, without further ado...**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Between The Stones**

**_THE ROSE-AND-LEMONADE GLOW _****of the **morning sun danced across the undulating ultramarine water in a series of sparkling clusters. This was the view that Hydrus the Swampert Pokéshifter woke up to, though he could barely register its beauty before he became aware of the agonising pain slicing across his chest.

"Urgh…" He shifted uncomfortably, glancing downwards and noticing the blood-encrusted bandage that covered most of his torso; his raincoat, jacket and shirt had been removed and flung into a heap just a short distance away. The black-haired teenager registered a rough, uneven surface at his back, like tree bark. A quick search conducted by his fingertips confirmed that it was indeed tree bark; and, as he familiarised himself with his surroundings, Hydrus realised that this made sense. He was positioned in a densely forested area which overlooked the ocean whilst overgrowing the crest of a coast of chalk cliffs. A few of the nearby trees clung to the absolute edges of the enamel-white cliffs that plunged into the ocean below.

An Eevee was just visible amongst the vegetation, strolling curiously as it searched for Berries. Hydrus couldn't help but smile at the adorable scene. Even though the Swampert Pokéshifter didn't have the faintest idea where he was – even the memories of how he got here were fragmented and cloudy – everything felt at peace. Everything felt right.

He found he didn't want to think about what had happened to him earlier or make any attempt to recover his memories, as he feared that doing so would destroy the beauty and serenity of the scene. For now, at least, he was content simply observing the forest Pokémon and watching the sun ascend over the horizon.

But of course, it wasn't too long until that vision was slashed apart, much like the scabbed-over injury on his chest.

A loud, insistent voice reverberated through the woodand, causing the Fletchling roosting in the tree above Hydrus to scatter in all directions. "Hey! Swampert dude! You awake yet?"

A moment later, the owner of the voice appeared, distinctive by his charged, wild yellow hair and omnipresent Raichu ears. His question was answered as he met the disgruntled orange gaze of the Swampert Pokéshifter.

The Raichu Pokéshifter seemed oblivious to Hydrus's annoyance, merely grinning in reply. "Great stuff, dude," he remarked as he approached Hydrus's side, proffering a gnarled, hairy and unappetising lump that the Swampert boy recognised as an Energy Root.

"Yeah, I know, this stuff tastes like hell," the blond admitted, grimacing. "But if we want to outrun those shady dudes, you're gonna need to recover as quickly as you possibly can. Plus… it's not like there's much else around here."

Hydrus quickly accepted the root and consumed it in two large bites. Having eaten herbal medicinal plants on several occaisions beforehand, he was somewhat used to the bitter taste, and swallowed quickly without so much as cringing at the flavour.

He could almost feel the cells dividing and the wound repairing itself beneath the strips of guaze covering his chest as the Energy Root worked its healing magic. He sighed deeply as the pain gradually ebbed to a slow trickle.

"That's better, eh?" The Raichu-eared boy collapsed next to Hydrus, elbowing him gently as he did so.

The Swampert Pokéshifter barely resisted the urge to squirm away. The Raichu Pokéshifter was already far too close for comfort, and it didn't help that the blinding flash of a loosed Thunderbolt appeared in his mind pretty much whenever the Water-Type so much as glanced at him. He simply nodded in response to the other Pokéshifter's question.

"Awesome." His wide grin revealed two rows of brilliant white teeth, including his two elongated upper canines.

Hydrus grimaced. He wanted nothing more than to get away from this obnoxious Pokéshifter and back to his friends in Cyllage – back to the people he actually _knew, _rather than remaining in the companionship of this complete stranger that he couldn't even remember the name of.

But he couldn't find his way back until he figured out where this kid had taken him first.

"So, anyway, where in Arceus's realm are we?" he asked pointedly, turning his gaze back towards the seemingly infinite expanse of water.

"Eh… I don't really know," the Electric-Type admitted. "But there's a signpost nearby, back on the main drag. From the looks of it, we're somewhere near a place called Geosenge Town." The blond shrugged. "I dunno. I haven't been in this region very long."

_That makes two of us, _Hydrus thought somewhat bitterly. His hopes of getting back to Cyllage were now pretty much dashed, thanks to that Raichu Pokéshifter. "Why did you bring me here, anyway?" he inquired accusingly, his voice edged with hostility. His gaze snapped back towards the smaller boy.

"Whoa! Keep your whiskers on, dude! I get that you're all suspicious and stuff. I mean, who wouldn't be, with all those shady guys around?" Eyes of a radiant lime green bored into Hydrus's own, displaying sincerity that he had not seen in them before. "I brought you here for your own benefit. It was the easiest way outta Cyllage, and I wasn't about to stay there with those shady guys overrunning the place. I mean, yeah, I could take 'em easily. But you were run down by one of their trucks, so it wasn't like I could just leave you."

Hydrus blinked, the psychological fog that had previously clouded his memories finally disspating. He recalled the collision of the truck with the front of his body; of being catapualted to the side of the road and lying there, dazed and bleeding, possibly with a couple of broken bones as well. He remembered yet more flashes of Thunderbolt, the screams of Genmi subordinates, and the painful process of being hauled up inside the truck. After that point, however, pretty much everything drew a total blank.

The Raichu Pokéshifter shook his head. "I'm actually kinda amazed at how quickly you recovered from being hit by a speeding truck! Your injuries weren't even that severe. I guess your body must have natural impact absorbers or something. That's some Defense you have there."

"Um… thanks…" Hydrus muttered somewhat detachedly, unsure whether to take that last statement as a compliment. After having seen that this kid perhaps wasn't as obnoxious as he had originally assumed, his tone grew warmer as he spoke again. "But what happened after that…? I'm not certain… my memoy is a bit blurry…"

"Makes sense," the Raichu replied. "You were out for most of it anyway. An' you were just moaning and groaning after you were hit. Anyway, I hijacked the truck and pulled you into the passenger seat… Driving that thing was no easy task though, I can tell ya. I've driven boats and I've rode a Lapras before, but it wasn't nearly as easy as I thought it was going to be. Still, nobody died. At least, I don't think so…"

The blond Pokéshifter's uncertainty and his obvious inexperience with driving made Hydrus shudder. He figured that he should thank Arceus for the fact that they were both still alive, even after all that.

"I drove us up here and parked the truck in the undergrowth," the Raichu continued. "I destroyed it, so hopefully they won't be able to track us. I had some spare bandages in my backpack and I found some medicinal herbs lying around, like the Energy Root I just gave you, so I was able to stop the bleeding. So it looks like you have the awesome Jace Sandrey to thank for the fact that you're still breathing!"

"Yeah. I guess so," Hydrus agreed, though he was still anxious. Jace had said that Cyllage had been, to quote, 'overrun with shady guys'. And he could only assume that his friends had been caught up in that mess as well… what if they had been captured?

Grunting from the exertion and pain, Hydrus gradually picked himself up onto his feet, using the tree as a support. "I've still gotta go back there, though," he muttered breathlessly as he gazed down at Jace. "To Cyllage. All my friends are there, everyone I care about, and they –"

"Just wait one second there, big fella," Jace interrupted as he, too, rose off the ground. "Are you sure? Going back there might mean that you get captured, too, and trust me, you don't wanna go through that –"

"Too late. I already have," Hydrus interjected bluntly. "And you know what? I actually wouldn't mind going through all that again if it meant I could see my friends again."

"Well…" Jace shrugged. "They could be long gone. Even if they weren't kidnapped, they might've given you up for being captured or something."

"They wouldn't do that!" Hydrus rebuked indignantly, raising his voice to almost a shout. "They'd never just assume that. Arceus, they're probably worried sick about me… They know I don't do well on my own…"

"Still, they wouldn't have much of a reason for staying in Cyllage if they've gone out looking for you, huh, would they? And they don't know that we went this way… so there's practically no reason for them to be heading this way, is there? They could've gone in any direction."

The Swampert Pokéshifter gritted his teeth as he barely resisted the urge to pound his fist into Jace's freckled nose. But he knew that the Electric-Type's words were reasonable. It was unlikely that a happy scene awaited him at Cyllage… if anything at all, for that matter. But, however slim the chances of reunion, he still wanted to go back, just so he could get a sense of closure… so that he could find out what had really happened.

"You're not going to deter me," he muttered, turning his broad back on the other Pokéshifter. "Not when they could still be there."

Jace huffed. "Well, fine then. Have it your way, mister… um…" The Raichu Pokéshifter faltered awkwardly, glancing at Hydrus as he scratched the nape of his neck. "Say… what was your name again?"

"Hydrus Karoski," Hydrus replied without turning around. "Oh, and thanks for patching me up, by the way," he added, though his voice had a slight bitter tinge to it.

"You're welcome, dude. It was a pleasure, Hydrus." For a moment, Jace's voice sounded sincere, as though he really was bidding farewell to someone he was unlikely to ever see again. But then his serious demeanour gave way to an acerbic chuckle. "Hah! You really are an idiot, aren't you?"

"What?!" Hydrus rapidly pivoted, stretching his chest muscles in the process and causing him to crumple to his knee from the pain. "Agh…"

"See? Exactly!" Jace crowed. "You might've recovered quickly, but you ain't superhuman, and I bet that you could barely make it twenty metres like that on your own. Plus, you're in the back o' beyond and you have no idea which way Cyllage City lies. I would tell you if I knew, but unfortunately for you, I don't. I made the journey here in the dark and I can barely remember which way I turned. Even if I did, there's still no way I'm going back there. So you're stuck with me."

Hydrus flopped onto the grassy carpet beneath him in defeat. _Fuck. Dammit, Arceus. Dammit all! Why do I have to be so reliant on this guy? It's his fault that I got injured in the first place! _Numerous passionate and colourful sentences entered Hydrus's mind, but he didn't voice any of them. He was simply too deflated to put up a fight now that he knew that he could barely stand on his own two legs.

"Hey." The Raichu Pokéshifter squatted down so he was almost at Hydrus's level. "Look, dude, I'll make you a compromise, alright? After we stop in Geosenge Town, where I can stock up on Potions and things and you can make a proper recovery, I'll help you find your friends, okay? We can start by getting directions to Cyllage. Does that sound good to you?"

The Water-Type opened his mouth to agree, but then his orange irises narrowed in suspicion. "Why are you going to all this trouble for me? I mean, most people don't go out of their way to help strangers out of the goodness of their heart."

Jace shrugged, his mouth widening in yet another radiant grin. "I dunno. But I kinda like you, big guy. You're kinda interesting!"

Hydrus blinked rapidly. "Interesting? I-in what way?"

"Never mind!" he guffawed. "You really are an earnest fella, aren't cha? Always takin' everything so seriously!" He held out his hand to the Swampert Pokéshifter. "Come on, dude."

Initially, Hydrus hesitated before taking the proffered hand, put off by the whitish sparks of static electricity leaping across Jace's palm. But as his fingers closed around the other boy's, not even feeling the charge pass harmlessly through him and into the earth, he tightened his grip and allowed the other Pokéshifter to haul his injured body back to his feet.

For the first time in quite a long while, Hydrus's mouth formed a genuine smile. "Let's go, then. To Geosenge."

"Sure," Jace returned, "but you should really put some clothes on first, dude. You look like you've just returned from a warzone!"

Hydrus almost yelped as he remembered that his chest was bare but for the narrow strips of guaze barely holding his mending wound together. "Oh, uh, yeah… you're right… I should…" he mumbled lamely.

"Catch!" Jace called playfully just as a bundle of fabric exploded in the Water-Type's face.

* * *

_"__Geosenge Town: Quiet stones speak volumes._

_Cromlac'h: Calme pierres parlent des volumes."_

The words were etched into a marble slab situated in the centre of said town, loudly proclaiming Geosenge's motto. Three curved stone monoliths stretched upwards behind the slab like claws desperately trying to grasp at the sky above.

As the town's motto, it really wasn't all that interesting, but somehow Hydrus was fixated by those words, and equally by the distorted strone structures beyond. The monoliths were emitting a strange wavelength of energy that reminded Hydrus of a pulsing heartbeat… almost as if the stones were, in fact, living beings.

"Stones that speak…" Hydrus murmured to himself as he sat cross-legged on the grass, wheezing slightly as he gradually recovered his breath from the journey that had brought him to this point. He knew that the town motto was most likely based on local folklore and couldn't be taken at all literally, but he wondered if it was perhaps referencing those famous Mega Stones that he had heard so much about. Even during his travels in Hoenn, he had heard some interesting tales relating to Mega Stones and the phenomenon that they brought about, Mega Evolution. Apparently, a Mega Evolution even existed for his own Pokémon form, Swampert.

"Yo! Hydrus!"

Although he was beginning to get used to that obnoxiously loud voice, said Swampert Pokeshifter still winced at the volume as he was broken out of his trance by none other than Jace the Raichu Pokéshifter, who was bolting towards him like a Manectric in the Pokéathlon sprinting event.

"Hydrus," Jace called again as he stopped two feet short of the other Pokéshifter, barely breathless in spite of his speed. The ears and tail that were usually displayed proudly by the Electric-Type as proof that he was a Pokéshifter had been reluctantly retracted into a mostly regular human body – Hydrus had wondered whether something could be done about those exceptionally long canines, but he was pretty certain that they had almost nothing to do with Jace's shifting prowess.

"I've booked us into a hotel," the Electric-Type proclaimed triumphantly. "It's not too far from here, actually. Hotel Marine Snow. Yeah, I know, weird name, but at least now we've got somewhere to rest our heads tonight. Maybe then you'll be up for the trip back to Cyllage."

Hydrus nodded. "Yeah, thanks." He braced himself for the painful twinge that would inevitably come whenever he attempted to stand. Once he had reached that milestone, he allowed Jace to support him with an arm across the shoulders as they navigated the wide cobbled streets of Geosenge from the verdant central square. Although the very action of walking still pained him, he wouldn't have been able to keep himself upright if not for Jace, and for that much he was grateful.

"I also cleared out this town's Poké Mart," Jace continued, gesturing towards his swollen backpack. "I've got us enough Hyper Potions for several skirmishes in there. Even a couple of Revives if things get really crazy!" His smile broadened, a touch of his characteristic mania showing itself through the expression.

Hydrus frowned, still slightly unnerved by that look and what it could perhaps mean. He didn't want to admit it, particularly after all that the Raichu Pokéshifter had done for him, but… he still didn't fully trust Jace. He still knew next to nothing about him. And, like the introvert he was, he still wasn't satisfied with the fact that he was accepting help and companionship from a person he had met less than twenty-four hours ago, purely because he had no other choice.

Jace, completely oblivious to the suspicion and mistrust directed towards him by Hydrus, cut through those negative notions with an announcement of, "Well, this is it. Hotel Marine Snow."

Hydrus stopped suddenly as his eyes absorbed the details of the hotel's extravagant façade and the terracotta roof. The interior was only more impressive; floor tiles polished with such a reflective sheen that Hydrus could see his own face in them, and carved oaken furnishings that wouldn't look out of place at an antiques auction. "Wow. Nice place," he commented.

Jace chuckled. "Pfft, this is like a dump compared to some places. I've heard of this _really _ostentatious hotel though, in this region's capital, Lumiose. There's apparently room service, a spa, and everything... kinda sounds a bit like –" But at that point he cut himself off.

"Like what?" Hydrus inquired as the pair approached the reception desk.

"I-I don't remember," Jace stammered, his body squirming slightly as if trying to escape an opponent's Vicegrip. "Okay?"

The Swampert Pokéshifter's expression became suspicious once again, but he decided to let it slide… at least, until they could talk privately in the hotel room. But as he thought about it, why were they even staying in a hotel when there was already a perfectly good Pokémon Centre available? Jace clearly had a few PokéDollars that he could throw around, as otherwise the two would have had no choice but to go for the free accommodation in the local Pokémon Centre. Most of the Pokéshifters Hydrus had met were dirt poor, having been forced to abandon all that they owned; the fact of which begging the question: Where in Houndour's realm was Jace getting his money?

"The key to Room 15, please," Jace asked upon reaching the receptionist's carved oaken desk. "I booked a room for two earlier, under the name Jace Sandrey."

The elderly man behind the counter nodded, adjusting his glasses on his creased nose as he retrieved the corresponding key from the rows of metal that dangled behind him. "Here you go, son. Room 15 is on the second floor, on the left-hand side of the corridor."

"Sweet. Thanks." Jace gathered up the key in his fist and guided Hydrus towards the steps. "Looks like we gotta go up two flights of these things…" he observed, earning a groan from the Swampert Pokéshifter.

"Couldn't you have reserved any rooms on the first floor?"

"Sorry, dude. I asked, but there weren't any vacancies."

Perhaps the most painful five minutes of Hydrus's life followed, leaving him gasping for oxygen once he had finally conquered the stairs. Jace chuckled. "Holy Arceus, you really are a wreck, aren't you?"

The second floor stairwell opened out into a homely communal space complete with plush armchairs and a decorated hearth. Hydrus immediately collapsed onto the nearest cushioned surface, letting the sofa beneath him take his full weight.

Jace gave him a glance that was neither mocking nor pitying, yet still sympathetic. "Well, I guess you can stay here while I get the room sorted. I'll be back in a sec, alright?"

"Yeah, sure. Do what you want," Hydrus grunted dismissively as he burrowed even further into the chintz velvet in an attempt to escape from the world around him – even if such an escape would only be momentary.

The voices from others in the common room were slightly muffled by the cushions that Hydrus had buried himself in, but were still just about audible.

"Hmm… looks as if they're headed towards Laverre City via Route 14… they're fleeing something, probably." A loud sigh ensued before the owner of the voice spoke again. "It's too bad that we don't have access to the CCTV network in Lumiose. Then we could've found out what had made 'em scarper so quickly."

"Well, Sed, it's probably best if we work _within _the law here, seeing as we're no longer in Sinnoh. I'm pretty certain that the government of Kalos would object to you hacking into their network for whatever reason." The second voice was punctuated by a series of inconsistent crunching noises; it seemed that the second speaker was busy devouring his lunch between sentences.

"I know, I know…" Yet another sigh emanated from the one known as Sed. "It's not like we can't hazard a guess, anyway. It's probably the work of that Arceus-damned corporation again… But, y'know, Wookie –"

"I _told _you to stop calling me that," grunted the other man irritably.

"Ah, fine… _Wookbrom, _then," Sed corrected begrudgingly before continuing. "Anyway, I was just thinking that maybe we should move our base of operations to Lumiose… that way, we're better connected, so it'll be easier to follow any leads that come up."

Wookbrom chewed on his food thoughtfully. "You've made a rational point for once in your life, Sed," he replied. "But I still think it's better if we stay here. In this town, nobody knows us. It's easier to blend in. Thereby, Genmi are less likely to find us and to figure out what we're doing…"

Hydrus raised his head at the word 'Genmi', suddenly alert. On the sofa to his opposite sat two men in their mid-twenties. On the left perched a man who was clean and orderly in his appearance, with blond waves of hair that undulated past his shoulders; he plucked out noodles from a container with expertise, not so much as staining his lips as he brought the chopsticks up to his mouth. To his right lounged his opposite, a man sporting wild, metallic-grey hair and crimson dungarees splashed haphazardly with oil and grease. The latter's scarlet irises were fixated on the tablet that he held in his hands.

_Who are those guys…? _Hydrus wondered, edging a little closer towards them so he could properly pick up on their conversation.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," replied the wild-haired man, who appeared to be Sed. Delicately tapping the screen of his tablet with one calloused finger, he muttered, "Well, I guess we'll see what's going on with that Manaphy Pokéshifter then…"

At this, Hydrus sat bolt upright, his mind immediately filling with thoughts of Makara that overrode the pain blazing across his chest. _Could it be…? Is Makara truly alive? _Although he desperately wanted to believe that fact, desperately wanted to confirm that that girl he had seen on the docks in Sandgem Town hadn't simply been an illusion, he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart with the notion that Sed could be referring to any Manaphy Pokéshifter, and not necessarily the one that he had fallen in love with.

"She's still in Shalour City, it seems. The other one, the Suicune, looks as if he's out scouting the ocean. He's just outside the Tower of Mastery… Say, Wookbrom, what do you suppose they're looking for?"

"The same thing that any Pokéshifter looks for," Wookbrom replied. "Other Pokéshifters."

Hydrus knew that he should simply be content with this information and walk away. These two were beyond suspicious. Even if they appeared to be enemies of Genmi, the Swampert Pokéshifter figured that that didn't necessarily make them friends of the Pokéshifters.

But he just couldn't keep his mouth closed in this situation. If these two really _had _met Makara and knew where she was, then this was an opportunity that he could not simply ignore. He could confirm once and for all that Makara was still alive, and that he could see her again… Finally, after these three long years…

So he blurted: "Uh, excuse me, but this Manaphy Pokéshifter… do you know what she looked like?"

Two pairs of eyes, one of a warm crimson hue and the other a luminous golden colour, locked onto Hydrus. The Water-Type cringed under their gaze, which was in equal parts suspicious and surprised.

Wookbrom abruptly rose to his feet, and advanced towards Hydrus at such an inhuman speed that it was almost as if he had Teleported. "How do you know of this Manaphy Pokéshifter?" he demanded, eyes boring into Hydrus's head like golden drills.

Cowed, Hydrus attempted to move backwards, only to collide with the cushioned backrest. "I… uh… She's… er… We…" A number of possible explanations entered Hydrus's mind, but he fought against voicing either one of them. He didn't want to give too much information away to these people, as he still wasn't sure if they meant him harm or not.

The blond man narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction. They appeared to glow with unnatural incandescence for a moment. Hydrus braced himself for a transformation, expecting the other man to release a Poke Ball or to tackle him, though he wasn't sure how well he could fight in his injured state… especially not if the blond's companion decided to join him in battle.

But instead, the man known as Wookbrom simply sighed. "False alarm, Sed. This guy's just another runaway Pokéshifter. It's unlikely that he has ties with Genmi."

Hydrus's orange orbs widened. _How the fuck was he able to figure that out? Unless… But of course… It's the only way…_

"Y-you two," he blurted, "you're Pokéshifters as well, aren't you?"

"Haha!" chuckled the crimson-eyed man. "You're right on the Bouffalant there, kid. Yup! I'm a Skarmory Pokéshifter, and he –" he gestured towards Wookbrom "- is a Kadabra Pokéshifter. He's even got spoons that he tinkers with when he thinks nobody's looking –"

"Shut up," the aforementioned Kadabra Pokéshifter interjected. "Your voice is too loud!"

Sed shrugged. "I don't think it matters. You said yourself that this is a sleepy little town where only the stones can hear us, right? And any non-Pokéshifter or non-Genmi onlooker is just going to think that we're talking utter gibberish, right?"

Wookbrom sighed once again. "I'm sorry," he muttered, directing his speech towards Hydrus. "It's true that we assumed you wouldn't be eavesdropping on our conversation. This town is about as secluded as you can really get in Kalos, and doesn't seem to be plagued by Genmi at all. The most worrying rumour I've heard – bearing in mind that this is simply a rumour - is that there is an ancient weapon of mass destruction housed beneath this town… but it is apparently offline, and has been so for roughly three millenia."

Hydrus blinked, unsure how to reply to that revelation.

Sed laughed upon noticing his expression. "It's okay, kid. Considering how old that thing is, it's highly improbable that anyone could use it for its intended purpose. Even less probable that they could use it at its full capability."

The Kadabra Pokéshifter nodded, before turning fully around to face Hydrus. "Well, I'm still curious as to how exactly you know the Manaphy Pokéshifter we've been tracking," he pondered, the indirect question evident within his words.

"Uh, well… she… was a friend of mine…" Hydrus answered carefully, his words still honed with a slight edge of suspicion. "I met her three years ago in the Pokéshifter-holding cells beneath Genmi's Hoenn Division. We were lucky that we managed to escape, but Makara… that is, the Manaphy Pokéshifter… died in the process. Or at least, I thought she did." He paused. "Though I wasn't sure if you were actually talking about Makara. That's why I asked what she looked like."

"I that case, I suppose it wouldn't really hurt to tell you," Wookbrom mused. "After all, from what I can sense from your Aura, you're telling the truth. Well, I do remember vaguely how she appeared during our encounter…"

"Yeah," agreed Sed, cutting into the conversation. "She was tall… with long, wavy blue hair… a tan complexion… and yellow markings around her eyes, just like a typical Manaphy. Oh, and she also wore a dark blue scarf."

The Swampert Pokéshifter felt as though the air he had inhaled had become lodged in his throat for a moment. _It must be her. _She fitted the description almost uncannily. He could barely believe it; just a few short days ago he was convinced that she was dead, and now it seemed that she was very much alive… "Y-you said that she's in a place called Shalin City, right?"

"Shalour City," Sed corrected with a grin. "To get there, all you have to do is head east from this town and up through Reflection Cavern. The cavern takes you right through the mountain to the other side, and _voila _– you're in Shalour. There's a gigantic tower jutting from a peninsula on the north side – the locals call it the Tower of Mastery. It's impossible to miss."

"Thanks," Hydrus mumbled. He almost couldn't believe that these two complete strangers, who had seemed so suspicious at first, had actually _helped _him. Then again, it wasn't the first time… Jace, of course, fell into that category as well.

But there was still something else that bothered him about these two. Was it simply the fact that they appeared so inconspicuous and everyday; Sed's eyes were practically submerged within the screen of his tablet as Wookbrom casually picked out the last scraps of his noodle bowl with his chopsticks – just like any two regular humans? But then, something occurred to Hydrus that caused his cinnabar irises to once again narrow in suspicion.

"Hey… how do you two know all this? About Makara's whereabouts? And how did you even meet her, anyway?"

Wookbrom and Sed simply stared at Hydrus for a moment, their expressions startled as though he had touched on a taboo topic or had otherwise asked a question that he wasn't supposed to.

"Well, er…" Sed muttered. Hydrus could tell from the stretched skin on his forehead that he was struggling to come up with a decent excuse.

"Forget it. We'll just tell him," Wookbrom sighed. "If that Pokéshifter truly is his friend, he deserves to know." The Psychic-Type turned his full attention towards Hydrus. "You have to promise me, though, that whatever I say from now on does not leave this room. Is that clear?"

That demand only served to make the Kadabra Pokéshifter and his partner seem even more suspicious, but Hydrus found himself nodding cautiously.

"You understand, we – that is, the two of us, Sed and I – are working to foil Genmi's plans by tracking down Pokéshifters and keeping tabs on the ones that we have found. We hope to investigate further into the distribution of Pokéshifters throughout our world, and, if necessary, protect them from Genmi."

"I see…"

"The thing is…" Sed began, awkwardly averting his gaze from Hydrus. "We use high-tech tracking devices to discern their condition and whereabouts, but we can't just go up and attach those things to them. They'd never trust us, two strangers just out of the blue, even if we did decide to reveal to them that we're Pokéshifters. So, first of all, we track them to an area where we won't be seen, or we choose to carry out the operation in the late evening, when there's less people around. Wookbrom induces them with his Hypnosis, and then I go in and attach the tracker…" His metallic hair flopped downwards as he hung his head. "I'm sorry… I really am… If there was another way we could go about it, we would… But we agreed that this was the best way…"

Once again, Hydrus blinked, simply staring at the guilt-ridden man in front of him. "Well, uh, you don't hurt them, do you?"

"Of course not," Wookbrom answered, sounding almost offended at the notion. The trackers are designed to cause zero discomfort. Your Manaphy friend and her Suicune companion are completely fine."

"That's good to know. And thanks," Hydrus added, his voice relaxing in his relief. It was almost like a dream come true. Makara was alive and unhurt. And, best of all, she was in the next city along, not even a particularly long journey away…

He couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive at the mention of a 'Suicune companion', though. He supposed he should feel relieved that Makara wasn't traveling on her own, as he new firsthand that going solo wasn't a good option for any Pokéshifter. But he supposed that he would deal with the newcomer when he got there.

"By the way…" he questioned as another sudden thought occurred to him. "Are you going to put one of those tracking things on me as well?"

Wookbrom's eyes searched Hydrus's face, clearly picking up on the anxiety within the Water-Type's expression. "Well… yes. Though I assure you, you will only benefit from it. If you collaborate with us, hopefully, we can be one step closer to uniting to form a better world for all Pokéshifters."

"Mmm-hmm!" Sed's friendly smile made the notion seem all the more inviting. "And I'll tell ya what! I'll even throw in a headset so you can communicate with us. You don't have to, but, you know. It would be good to know what's going on in the field, at your end."

Hydrus shifted uncomfortably. Once again, he was more or less being talked into trusting people whom he barely knew. Could he truly take anything they said at face value?

"You don't have to decide right now, of course." Wookbrom's tone wasn't exactly friendly, but it was rather reassuring. "You're staying here for the night, right? Well, if you're interested, meet us at Room 12. That's where we'll be."

"Yeah, guess we'd better turn in, eh, Wookie?" The Skarmory Pokéshifter stood up, ignoring his companion's grimace at the use of his nickname. "Look at the time!"

As the two other Pokéshifters moved out of Hydrus's line of vision, the Swampert Pokéshifter leant back into the headrest, his mind positively whirring as he attempted to process everything that had just transpired. For a moment he reflected on just how complicated the life of a Pokéshifter could be.

"Oh, wait… Just one moment!"

Hydrus attempted to crane his neck over the headrest to meet the red-eyed gaze of Sed the Skarmory Pokéshifter, feeling his chest twinge in the process. "Uh, yeah?"

"Are you an Aggron or Swampert Pokéshifter by any chance?"

The accuracy of the question almost caused Hydrus to perform a double take. "H-how could you possibly know that?" he blurted.

Sed chuckled. "No reason, really. It's just that you're a bit tall and bulky, so I figured… And also…" He paused to retrieve two roughly wrapped, vaguely spherical parcels from within the pockets of his dungarees. "I have these two Mega Stones that I've been meaning to get rid of. I bought them as souvenirs from this total tourist trap of a market in Coumarine City. Wookbrom didn't think much of my purchase at the time, but if you can find some actual use for one of them, then that would be better than me just carrying them around uselessly in my pockets, right?"

Hydrus was almost speechless. "Mega… Evolution… Pokéshifters can really achieve it?" Orange eyes full of curiosity and wonder met those of the Steel-Type.

"Well, I don't actually know, but it wouldn't hurt to try. I know as much about Mega Evolution as you do, though, so I apologise that I can't tell you more about how to use them…" He glanced in turn at each of the parcels. "So… was it Aggron or Swampert?"

"Uh, Swampert."

"I had a suspicion," Sed muttered triumphantly as he unwrapped the sphere in his right hand, peering closely at it just to be certain before handing it to Hydrus.

The Swampert Pokéshifter carefully accepted the globe, turning it around in his hands, taking note of every angle. The sphere was a cloudy aquamarine colour reminiscent of a riverbed with swirls of dark silt whirlpooling within. The stone was shot through with streaks of orange, grey and indigo that intertwined around each other to form a vague double helix.

"It's called a Swampertite," Sed continued. "Oh, and if you want to find out more about Mega Evolution, I suggest you visit the Tower of Mastery while you're in Shalour City. Apparently it's full of the best scholars of the subject in Kalos."

This time, Hydrus truly was speechless. For a moment, he was euphoric, though his words of gratitude stuck in his throat. He couldn't shake the notion that this could still be a bribe, a ploy to earn his trust so that he would go along with whatever they told him to. After all, they hadn't shown him any proof that anything they had told him was the truth, had they? Did he truly have any reason to trust them?

"Well, anyway, take care out there, kid." Hydrus barely registered Sed's words.

He continued staring into the depths of his newly acquired Mega Stone for a few moments after Sed's footsteps had retreated out of the common room, as though it were a divining crystal that would give him insightful guidance.

"Heyyy! The invincible awesomeness that is Jace Sandrey is back!"

Hydrus almost jolted in his seat as the Raichu Pokéshifter's foghorn voice pierced his eardrums. "You're back?" He realised in that moment that he had forgotten almost completely about Jace and his prolonged absence. Hadn't he said he had just gone to the room to dump his bags and set it up for the night?

"Well, yeah." Jace smirked as he leant the top half of his body over the burgundy headrest. "You must've been bored out of your mind without my amazing company. Here, I'll take you back to the room. Sorry I'm late, it's just that, well… After I unpacked, I got pretty caught up on this show I was watching. See, the room's got digital telly."

"Right," Hydrus muttered, still fixated on the bluish globe within his hands.

"Whatcha got there?"

Hurriedly, Hydrus shoved the Swampertite up his coat sleeve, concealing it from view. "Uh… just a little trinket. It's kinda embarrassing… I… I, uh… I've had it since I was a little kid…"

Jace clearly wasn't buying it. "Yeah, right," he scoffed. "Looked more like one of those Mega Stones."

"Well, you clearly weren't looking hard enough," Hydrus grunted brusquely. "How would I get a Mega Stone, anyway? If I had had one before, you'd probably already know by now."

"I dunno." But as he said this, Jace flashed him a rather wry, knowing smile that unsettled Hydrus right down to the core. "Say, who were those guys you were talking to just before I came in?"

"Just… some random strangers that I was having a friendly conversation with." Although that statement couldn't be much further from the truth, Hydrus was surprised at the ease with which the falsehood passed his lips. He was also surprised at his desire to defend the so-called 'random strangers'. He had known them for an even shorter length of time than he had known Jace, and yet was intent on staying true to his promise.

"Friendly conversation?" Jace guffawed. "I didn't think you were the type to do that, but hey. People can be surprising sometimes." With that, he took a firm grip on Hydrus's arm to haul him up.

As the Raichu Pokéshifter walked him back to Room 15, the Water-Type's eyes passed over the brass number 12, embossed onto the plaque of one of the nearby doors. For the second time that day, a total stranger had given him numerous reasons to trust them, despite seeming so inherently suspicious.

_Perhaps I should give them a try… After all… how long has it been since I decided to put my trust in someone?_

_Too long, _some would say.


	25. Chapter 25: The Merciless Mire

**Chapter Twenty-Five: The Merciless Mire**

**_AS AN UNSIGHTLY _****beige broth **of sticky clay clung to the fabric of Haku's jeans, the Absol Pokéshifter reflected that perhaps, had he been allowed more time, he would have resolved to swap his casual black ankle boots for a pair more suited to traipsing through unfamiliar terrain in a strange new region. Admittedly, although Haku knew this route to be the Nature Trail that connected the cities of Lumiose and Laverre, he hadn't quite anticipated it to be so… treacherous.

Indeed, Sakura's gangly frame was already half-submerged in a patch of mud that had turned out to be deceptively deep. Maddy appeared to be faring the best out of the three of them, and was already several paces ahead. And yet, even the Latias Pokéshifter seemed utterly exhausted, gasping desperately for oxygen as she gradually ploughed forward.

"Hey, Mr Wise Guy," she called breathlessly over her shoulder. "Why couldn't you have gotten the Gogoat to take us across this route? I'm sure he would've handled it just fine."

"Perhaps," Haku answered, smoothly as always. "But do you know the old saying: 'You can lead a Gogoat to a chasm, but you can't force it to leap'? Especially considering that Gogoat is a free Pokémon now. I led him to the promised Berries, and after he had eaten his fill, he bounded off."

Maddy rested her foot against the mossy remains of a fallen tree trunk that was gradually being devoured by swamp and fungus alike. The wood immediately collapsed into splinters.

Her mouth contorted into a grimace as she let loose a low groan. "Fuck this," she grumbled.

"There isn't any other way. Unless you're willing, of course, to fly us out of here."

Maddy's gaze at that moment could only be described as withering. "No thank you. There's no way I'm going through _that_ again."

Haku chuckled amusedly, but stopped short when he heard a soft panting from somewhere just behind him. A quick turn of the head revealed that it was Sakura the Zoroark Pokéshifter, who from the waist downwards now resembled a humanoid terracotta figurine, and walked with a stiffness to match.

She was panting from exertion, having just pulled herself three feet out of an unforgiving mudhole, and yet even her wheezy gasps were as quiet as her speech. "H-haku… C-could we… s-stop for a moment?" she requested, fixing the Absol Pokéshifter with a pair of pleading vermillion eyes.

"Hmmm." Haku surveyed his surroundings. The bog stretched out in all directions seemingly infinitely, with the otherwise uniform beige hue of the clay occasionally mottled with darker patches. Trees stood anchored to the swamp by ash-grey roots, their skeletal branches, bare but for a smattering of decaying leaves, knifing the sky overhead. Broken branches, mosses, colourful mushrooms and verdant ferns flourished within the clay. Small clusters of the Pokémon Goomy slithered amongst organic detritus, their lavender colour exposing them against the treacle-hued bog.

Above the trees, the light was steadily but surely failing. The dark clouds above were fit to burst, swollen like gigantic water-filled bruises. Haku could only see one place in the immediate vicinity that seemed at all habitable; a tiny house, more aptly called a cabin, just over a hundred metres away. The building seemed abandoned, having been almost concealed by a shroud of thick foliage. The house had practically become part of the swamp – an endless matrix of vines and ivy constricted around its walls as proof that nature had well and truly reclaimed this man-made structure.

The Dark-Type sighed. "Well, I _had_ hoped to arrive at Laverre City before sunset, but it appears as though that won't happen now. The light is failing, and we're going to need some shelter before the cumulonimbus above us begins to unleash its precipitation. I suggest we spend the night in that building over there." He gestured towards the ivy-encased house.

Maddy made a face. "This route is already dark and creepy enough, but that house is definitely the creepiest thing that I've seen so far," she observed, a hint of apprehension detectable within her voice. "I know this probably sounds pretty cliché, but that thing looks as if it's haunted by the desperate, bloodthirsty soul of some poor Pokémon or human that died alone and in agony."

"Well, when I was reading up about this route, I did pick up on a few folktales and rumours –"

"Honestly, Mr Wise Guy," Maddy cut in, her cheeks paling ever so slightly, "If we really are going to have to spend the night in there, I don't want to hear it."

"Fair enough."

The next few minutes passed in near-total silence, but for the steady squelching of the trio's shoes against the sticky clay. Upon reaching the front door to the house, which was only distinguishable from the rest of the wall by its weed-encrusted doorknob, Haku attempted to prise it open, only to find that it was locked.

"Allow me." Maddy promptly shoved her entire weight onto the door, the resulting force catapulting the portal almost off its hinges. The three Pokéshifters then stepped into the dark interior.

It took a moment for Haku's eyes to adjust to the gloom. The inside of the house was just as overgrown as the exterior; mosses clambered up the walls and carpeted the floor whilst the blue-green of penicillin mould dominated the ceiling. A sapling grew out of a nearby fireplace, its branches scratching the mantelpiece.

The house only consisted of one room, and yet, without the mould and the plants, it might've been quite homely. Two plush sofas stood opposite each other in the centre, with a glass-topped table inbetween. The furnishings were in surprisingly good condition, considering their abandonment. A broken vase sat atop the table, the drooping remains of long-dead flowers cascading down from the rim. The house sported a bunk bed, a flat-screen TV and a large fridge (though Haku strongly doubted that the TV was still operational and he didn't even want to consider the condition of the fridge's contents).

As his friends settled themselves comfortably on the sofas, Haku scanned the room once, twice, thrice, to reassure himself that there was nothing that posed any kind of immediate threat. But it seemed as though the worst they would be dealing with tonight would be a bunch of unruly Ghost-Types, and that would only be if the rumours were true.

Once satisfied with his analysis of the house's safety, he pushed the front door closed, using a nearby chair to prevent it from swinging open again. He sighed as he collapsed on the sofa next to Sakura, the ache in his knees ebbing somewhat as he transferred his weight onto the cushions. The Zoroark Pokéshifter beside him seemed already intent on drifting off, having curled up into a foetal position with her head rested on her backpack.

"G-good night, you two," she mumbled sleepily.

Maddy, on the opposite sofa, was by comparison a lot more active. She had removed the second packet of Lumiose Galletes from her buldging backpack and was downing them in single bites, barely even chewing.

Haku smiled. _Typical Maddy, with that monstrous appetite. _She had already eaten roughly ninety percent of the first packet of Galletes earlier that day, as closely as he could calculate. Though he supposed that Maddy's frenzied consumption of sugary pastries could be justified. He and Sakura had managed to grab lunch at a café whilst in Lumiose, whereas Maddy's only source of nourishment had been the various solutions and drugs that had been administered to her during her rehabilitation in the Pokémon Centre. Haku counted at least one day in which he hadn't seen Maddy eat a single thing, but he had no idea how much she'd had to eat before he'd met her at that cliffside cavern in Eterna Forest.

"Well," the Absol Pokéshifter yawned. "I suppose I should rest for a moment as well. Maddy, are you prepared to take first watch?"

"Huh?" The Latias Pokéshifter mumbled through a mouthful of pastry and cream. "Why do we need watching shifts? We're out in the middle of nowhere, aren't we?"

"Although that may be true, there's still a chance, however slight, that Genmi may have followed us. Furthermore, if there _do _happen to be disgruntled spirits in this area…"

"Mr Wise Guy, shut up," Maddy interjected. "Like I said, I don't want to hear it. I'll do it, alright?"

"Alright. Wake me up in two hours, or if you see anything suspicious at all." Haku then unbuttoned his black jacket for use as a cushion, folding it up so that the mysterious contraption Sedemihcra had given him didn't cause him too much discomfort. He curled up tightly, trying to avoid the mud dripping off the edges of Sakura's trench coat. But in that instant, he realised just how exhausted he was. The constant running had taken its toll... but it wasn't just that. Having to continue in the face of everything that had happened, including having his home destroyed and all of his old friends but for one, killed…

_And he might be lost to me now, too._ It saddened him to think that he could so easily recall the face of the Glaceon Pokéshifter, with his messy cyan hair, friendly chestnut irises and whisker-marked cheeks… and yet he might never see that same face again.

He recalled their last meeting; the sense of slight betrayal that he had felt as the Ice-Type had demonstrated his faith in his new family, particularly towards that Ekans Pokéshifter. Even at the time, Haku had recognised the fact that he was, inevitably, losing Frinos. _He might be lost to me now in more ways than one._

Shaking his head, Haku attempted to dispel those thoughts from his mind, and instead let his exhaustion completely take over.

As his consciousness faded, he fell into a blissfully dreamless sleep.

* * *

Haku awoke to the violent sensation of riding a rattling cart across crooked rollercoaster tracks. A nearby voice whispered urgently in his ear. The sound was as much as he could detect, seeing as his temporal lobe was not yet functional enough to process speech, but he could tell that it was important.

So Haku grasped onto his awakening senses to pull himself back into consciousness. Violet eyes snapped open, the sleepy haze surrounding them disappearing within seconds. The Dark-Type recognised the wispy hair and facial features of the person in front of him as belonging to Maddy; said Latias Pokéshifter was shaking him vigorously in an effort to drag him back into wakefulness.

"Mr Wise Guy, wake up," Maddy urged. "We've got trouble."

Haku yawned, rapidly throwing his jacket on as he got to his feet. "So soon," he murmured. "Seems as though I didn't have time to descend into the REM stage."

"Cut out the psychological evaluations, Mr Wise Guy. This is _serious._"

"Yes, of course," Haku agreed, eyeing her attentively. "What exactly appears to be the problem?" Even as he spoke, he was attempting to figure out the answer to that question on his own. A quick scan of the room revealed that everything he had previously noted was still accounted for, with the exception of the broken vase he had seen perched on the table earlier – a detail that he would never fail to notice.

_Hmm…_

Judging by the relentless howling sounds outside and the constant hammering of rainwater on the roof, Haku could only assume that the storm he had seen threatening earlier was now blowing at full pelt. _Not exactly optimum weather for a raid. But Genmi have been known to act in many unfavourable situations, and especially if a Legendary Pokéshifter is at stake…_

"No time to explain," that same Legendary Pokéshifter garbled breathlessly. "We've gotta get outside."

Without another word, Maddy latched onto his wrist tightly and yanked him with a force that his newly awakened body could do little to resist. "Wait," he cautioned. "What about Sakura?"

"She'll be fine!" Maddy asserted as she dashed towards the door, pulling the Absol Pokéshifter along behind her.

Haku sincerely doubted that. True, he had seen Sakura hold down a decent fight with him whilst she was still under the influence of Hypnosis, and otherwise didn't doubt her physical prowess, but the fact still remained that she was currently asleep and totally unaware of any danger that might approach her.

However, before he could utter another word of protest, Maddy had kicked down the chair, flung open the door and thrust him into a cascading deluge of water. The raindrops soaked through to his skin within seconds. The Dark-Type gasped at the sudden shock and the damp, chilling sensation.

"Where's the danger?" Haku asked pointedly, panning his eyes across the area, squinting to see beyond the curtain of rain that obscured almost everything beyond a few inches from his face.

In answer to that question, Maddy gave a response that Haku would've categorised as being perhaps one of the least likely to occur; she laughed.

And it wasn't just a typical chuckle or titter. It was a raucous, hysterical, prolonged laugh; the kind of uncontrollable giggle that leaves one wheezing and on the verge of tears afterwards.

"Haku, you completely fell for it," she chortled. "Oh, holy Arceus, I never knew you could be so gullible!"

"H-huh?!" Haku stuttered, his words failing him for once. For a millisecond, he was totally perplexed. Could this really be some sort of lighthearted prank? Haku reasoned that it was definitely something that he could envision Maddy doing, but it still didn't add up. The broken vase… her laughter, which, thinking about it, had a rather maniacal quality to it… None of it made sense, and the more he considered it, the more his sense of apprehension grew.

"Maddy…" he uttered, his voice regaining some of its former dignity. "That… that was very funny. Well played, indeed. But if there's no danger, then shouldn't we return inside? It's not healthy to stay for long periods of time in weather conditions like this. I'll be taking the watch from now on, so you can have some rest."

The Absol Pokéshifter braced himself for her response. In the seconds which followed, his mind rapidly formulated numerous possible responses and decided how he should react in each individual situation. His next course of action hung completely on Maddy's next move.

The Latias Pokéshifter's laughter ceased abruptly. Her hazel eyes, shining almost like beacons in the dark, intensified in their glow as they met Haku's. "No… if… if I'm honest, Haku, I didn't drag you out here just because I wanted to play a prank on you. And… although we aren't in any immediate danger, I do… I do have… something… something important… to tell you."

Haku blinked. Her words sounded so sincere, he faltered. Just for a moment. Not even a moment, in fact… More like the finest, tiniest slice cut from the continuum of time.

But he would look back on that slice as being the biggest mistake of his life.

Maddy honed in on his hesitation, approaching him so quickly he almost didn't notice until she had taken a firm hold of his forearm, just below the elbow. When the Absol Pokéshifter cringed and attempted to step away, her grip only tightened.

"Haku, I…" The Latias Pokéshifter was so close that Haku could feel her short, sharp exhales on his cheek. Her pupils dialated rapidly as she fixed Haku with eyes full of emotion. "I think I'm… falling for you…"

The confession took Haku by surprise, even though he had partially suspected it already. When he recalled that the person speaking those words was only _potentially _Maddy, he was reassured somewhat, but still…

Deciding to play along, at least for now, Haku opened his mouth to reply. But the only sound that rolled off his tongue consisted of a long string of "Um… ah… eh." In the face of this strange new situation, he, for once, had no idea how to appropriately respond. In the face of his uncertainty, he had been reduced to stutters.

Maddy suddenly shifted her position so that she was even closer to Haku. Letting go of his arm, her hands instead propped up against his shoulders. The Dark-Type once again cringed at the contact and further invasion of his personal space, causing him to stumble backwards until he met with the foliage-covered wall behind him. The words that the Latias Pokéshifter spoke next only amplified the strangeness and the awkwardness of the situation.

"Haku… do you love me, too?"

"W-well, no," he replied, a little more brusquely than he had intended. "I-"

He was cut off by Maddy, whose nut-brown irises now only showed a mixture of hurt, longing and a deep unwillingness to accept Haku's answer. "I see… But why? Tell me why, at least!" She grasped the front of Haku's soaked jacket in her gloved hands, bringing his face even closer to her own.

Haku was rather rattled by that reaction, but he could still think of a million different responses to it. He went with possibly the most relateable answer. "Well… I've never even considered having that kind of relationship with you, Maddy. I'm fine with us bonding platonically, but any further than that and I… It would never work out between us, trust me. Also… I know it seems like we've known each other for a long time because of everything that we've been through since our first meeting, but in reality, we've only known each other for two days. It's a little… odd for one to develop such feelings, and with such certainty, so early on… and especially to expect that the other is willing to return those same feelings…"

Maddy howled and punched him in the arm. "Shut up, Mr Wise Guy! I know how I feel! It was bugging me all through the night… Eventually I just had to tell you! I needed to know if you felt the same… That's all."

"All…?" Haku repeated questioningly, not at all buying it. The entire scenario seemed ludicrous, even for Maddy. From what Haku had observed, Maddy was not the kind of girl who would so blatantly come out with a confession like that. He figured that it was probably more likely that she would attempt to deny her feelings. Besides, hadn't she already told him that she had a boyfriend, and was currently occupied in searching for him? And then, there was still the matter of that broken vase… If what he suspected was true, that would explain why this Maddy appeared and behaved similarly to the one he was familiar with, right down to the Latias Pokéshifter's own personal nickname for him. Although the pretense hadn't fooled Haku for long.

His amethystine irises narrowed. "Come clean, Ditto." As Maddy's eyes widened in confusion at that statement, Haku lashed out at the illusion of innocence. "It's no use. It's the only solid theory I have for all that I have observed so far. I assume that you thought I wouldn't notice the broken vase that you had Transformed earlier into. Or the obvious incongruencies in your characterisation of Maddy. Though I might add that your deception was substantial enough to fool me for a moment."

"Alright then, Mr Wise Guy. I'll come clean." But as Maddy spoke, her voice distorted, and her body along with it. For a moment, her entire body appeared to dissolve into an incandescent purplish blob, before re-forming into the shape of a total stranger.

A pair of spiky locks jutted from the newcomer's mop of messy lavender hair like twin antenna, framing his tanned facial features. The other boy topped Haku by a mere few inches, but was significantly leaner and bulkier in his physique than the rather skinny Absol Pokéshifter. His body was clad in a sleeveless turtleneck jumper coloured in a light mauve hue, and thick violet trousers fitted with a utility belt. The hands that gripped Haku's jacket were now encased in black gloves rather than the previous red.

The two things that stood out most to Haku about this Ditto Pokéshifter, however, were his eyes. Coloured an even deeper purple than Haku's own, they seemed less like eyes but more like portals to a strange parallel dimension; openings to an enigmatic realm that beckoned him forward with the allure of a mystery as yet unsolved. But the Absol Pokéshifter could not see a hint of emotion within those eyes, and that terrified him. The eyes were instrumental in deducing a person's emotions, but those purple irises acted almost like curtains, obscuring what lay beyond and completely blocking Haku from attempting to analyse the other Pokéshifter's possible thought patterns. A triumphant smirk covered the lower portion of the Ditto Pokéshifter's face in spite of the fact that his deception had leaked; it was almost as if he could tell that he was unnerving Haku.

And yet, the Absol Pokéshifter refused to let it show. "You're a spy, presumably for Genmi. You knew we were heading this way, it seems, and so devised a stakeout at this house, knowing that we would likely decide to settle here for the night. Disguising yourself as a broken vase, you we able to pick up on our conversation, learning some of our behaviours, and waited until we were all in a deep slumber until you decided to act. Assuming that is true, I suppose Maddy had been sleeping on the job, though I suppose that wouldn't have been the first time. And this is currently the next stage of your plan, in which you try to separate Maddy, Sakura and I so that we become lesser, more individual threats and so easier to capture." The rapid-fire deductive conclusions spouting from Haku's mouth came almost automatically, and his calm tone gave no hint to the despair that he was feeling. He guessed that Maddy and Sakura were far away by now, unable to help him and steeped in troubles of their own, all in accordance with Genmi's plan. _It's ingenious… _Haku realised. _Even I never suspected a thing… until it was already too late. _He couldn't be certain as to the reason why they had managed to find him so quickly, but he had a nagging suspicion that it had something to do with the bullet embedded in his abdomen.

The Ditto Pokeshifter before him emitted an amused hum. "Correct. You're spot-on, in fact. That was precisely our plan. Once my colleagues had separated the Latias and the Zoroark, ready with backup should they awaken and lash out, I moved right onto you. Perhaps you aren't a Legendary Pokéshifter, but Axalar Genmi considers you both a threat and an asset. I wanted to be the one to take you down personally, Haku." He leaned in even closer, so close that a stray lock of mauve hair fell onto the Dark-Type's pale cheek. "The elusive Absol Pokéshifter that I've heard so much about."

Haku struggled to maintain his composure. It wasn't only that he felt uncomfortable being penned up against the wall by a complete stranger, but this particular stranger – although he did not want to admit it to himself – was so… so _intoxicating_, throwing him completely off his balance in a way that the Absol Pokéshifter was at a loss to understand. Was it his sense of enigmacy? Or the fact that he had managed to fool him, if only for a moment? Surely it couldn't just be put down to his handsome appearance, although he had that, definitely.

The lavender-haired Pokéshifter cocked his head, his smirk widening. "Are you blushing?"

_Blushing…? _Haku rarely blushed. He usually had enough control over his emotions to prevent it from happening, even whilst he was around _him_. So what was this Ditto Pokéshifter _doing _to him? But he knew. This stranger was somehow stripping Haku of all his defences, peeling away his deadpan expression and cool composure as if they were the the skin of an orange, and exposing the soft, tender fruit within.

It frightened him more than anything.

_Fear…_

But fear was merely a survival mechanism. A warning. Much like his disaster dreams. There was nothing wrong with feeling fear, even with showing fear.

But he could use his fear as an advantage… just like he used his disaster dreams as an advantage.

_I don't want to underestimate a Ditto Pokéshifter by any means, especially one with Transformative ability like his. _Haku knew that the Pokémon Ditto was usually only capable of transforming into something that it could physically see at that point in time, but apparently that rule didn't apply to this particular Ditto Pokéshifter._ But that doesn't necessarily mean that I have zero chances against him…_

Haku focused in that moment on his desire to flee, his desire to find his friends, his desire to dash on his four Absol paws the same way he had dashed across the scorched earth of Eterna Forest in his attempt to find Frinos. He decided that he would do this by any means possible, even if it meant Slashing the Pokéshifter before him to pieces.

He didn't even feel himself shift as he surged towards his opponent with Night Slash. He felt his claws, glowing purplish-black with Dark-Type energy, pierce through fabric and flesh, drawing blood, all fuelled by the adrenalin streaming rapidly through his viens.

The Ditto Pokéshifter did not waste any time on his counterattack. Suddenly, Haku's claws were no longer slicing through human flesh but instead through a mound of viscous lilac goo, which was rapidly reforming into the towering shape of a Pokémon he immediately recognised as Pangoro.

Haku speedily attempted to dodge the Hammer Arm directed his way, but the side of the panda-like Pokémon's fist caught his cheek just as he was leaving, propelling him several metres across the bog and leaving him to land with a splat in the thick clay. He assured himself that nothing was broken, but the pain was immense. It was a super-effective attack.

However, the Absol Pokéshifter knew that Hammer Arm came with its own drawbacks. Already, the Ditto Pokéshifter, in Pangoro form, was struggling to heave his giant fist out of the mud in which it was embedded. Without a second thought, Haku fled.

His Absol paws navigated the uneven terrain with ease. He was initially unsure which direction to follow, but amongst the trees in the distance he caught a flash of indigo illuminating the dark atmosphere. _Dragon Pulse, _he indentified, _so it's probably Maddy._

Beyond the howls of the thunderstorm, Haku just caught the characteristic crackle of an electrical bolt surging towards him. He countered the attack with a Thunderbolt of his own as the the Ditto Pokéshifter dashed into view, keeping pace with him as a Manectric. The electric charges collided in midair, cancelling each other out spectacularly.

The Manectric put on a sudden burst of speed, swerving around to face him. Haku halted, his path having been blocked, and watched as the other Pokéshifter Transformed for the third time.

The result was a mirror-image; the Ditto had copied everything about the Absol Pokéshifter's appearance, right down to his amethyst eyes and the silvery markings lining his pale Absol pelt. Needless to say, he had also copied all his moves and his Ability, to boot. But at least Haku now knew what to expect.

He advanced, his horn glowing brilliantly with the pent-up energy of Razor Wind. He deftly dodged an Ice Beam, then a Thunderbolt, and finally a Dark Pulse. He released his attack a mere metre away from his target.

Instead of dodging, the Haku duplicate continued to dash forwards right through the attack, not even flinching as it impacted, leaving a line of blood across his torso. He pounced on Haku with unbelieveable speed that the Absol Pokéshifter was once again unable to dodge. Night Slash raked across his face, narrowly missing his eye and cutting through the bruise that was already forming as a result of the Hammer Arm. The pain caused Haku to falter for a millisecond, which was all that the other Pokéshifter needed. One more attack, a Sky Uppercut lauched through a Breloom's fist, was all it took. Haku was catapaulted onto his back as his fur dissolved and his claws retracted into useless fingernails.

Those mysterious dark irises met his own again as the Ditto Pokéshifter, now in human form, stood over him. His turtleneck was in shreds, and he was bleeding from multiple wounds. Haku didn't even want to think about what his injuries looked like as the loser of the battle.

_This is the second time I've been beaten utterly by a Pokéshifter affiliated with Genmi, _he observed. _Perhaps history really does repeat itself. If only I had had a disaster dream before this had happened…_

"Don't feel too bad, Mr Wise Guy. I'm Genmi's finest." He picked up the Absol Pokéshifter with ease, swinging him across his back as though he were a sack of straw. "I've never lost a battle, nor have I ever failed a field mission. And it's only a matter of time before I become leader of Genmi's Kalos Division. Only a matter of time."

The Absol Pokéshifter ignored the Ditto's shameless boasting. He was aware of the fact that he only had a few seconds consciousness left. And in those seconds, he recalled the disaster dream he had experienced back in Sedemicra's workshop.

_"…__and you can be safe in the knowledge that _you _caused their demise."_

Something that the Ditto Pokéshifter had said earlier had struck a familiar chord, now that he thought about it…

_"__Axalar Genmi considers you to be both a threat and an asset."_

_It's happening…_

Reflecting back on it, perhaps he could use this situation to put his plan into action. The plan, of course, was the very reason he had decided to come to Kalos in the first place. He had originally wanted to find and infiltrate their Headquarters on his own terms, but if this was how the disaster dream had to be played out, then so be it…

_Either way, I will find out what it is that they are planning._

_And this time… this time, I'll put a stop to it. Permanently._


	26. Chapter 26: Internal Silence

**Better late than never, I suppose. I did mean to upload it during the FIRST week of September, but I suppose I didn't foresee just how hectic my first two weeks at sixth-form college were going to be. Anyway, I shall leave you with this chapter and a promise to be more organised in the future. If the latter turns out to be unfruitful, well, you've still got the chapter.**

**This isn't the best chapter ever but I still wholeheartedly hope you enjoy it. Any kind of review is much appreciated (except for flamers, but that goes without saying), as usual. I decided, quite unintentionally, to focus on internal conflicts and the relations between characters in this one. There's not all that much action in this one, but nevertheless I hope you find it interesting.**

**Oh, and one last thing: there is, for the first time ever in one of my stories, an additional notice down by the bottom. It's pretty important, so, if you've been reading and enjoying this story so far, I think it would be a good idea to read it. I hope I'm not sounding too stingy here; this is just an FYI.**

**Well, see you around, and enjoy the chapter.~**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Internal Silence**

**_A SNOWY SINGULARITY _****absorbed all **noise. Drifts, contorted into improbable shapes, presided over the preciptuous pass of Mount Coronet. The silence was palpable, pressing down on the heads of the bedraggled community of Pokéshifters with so many Pascals of pressure. Even the steady, relentless crunch of shoes on the glaciated ground was muted and ambiguous.

The Pokéshifters, clad in thick second-hand winter coats that had been purloined en route to the pass from a Celestic Town store, trudged on reluctantly. Many were used to the dynamic life of a Pokéshifter, constantly fluctuating between danger and relative safety as they moved from place to place. But it seemed now that the threat from Genmi had been eradicated from Sinnoh; not a glimpse of Atomica's subordinates had been sighted since the Weavile Pokéshifter had been taken under Jean's custody. And without that threat, theoretically, life for Pokéshifters would from now on be much easier. They would have had ample time to rest and recuperate at the foot of the mountain.

But Jean had refused. One could never be too careful, she had said. Ordinary humans posed just as much a threat as Genmi members, she had said. Although the hybrid renagades understood this, they were still disinclined to leave in such a fragile state, and to head _north_, of all directions.

For many, particularly amongst the Grass and Bug-Types, the frigid temperatures were already close to unbearable. And yet Snowpoint City lay at least two days north of their current position.

For Naomi the Arbok Pokéshifter, however, the chill was a minor bother. Wrapped in a dark faux fur-lined coat, she looked on at the oneiric, soundless landscape, viewing it as some sort of pathetic fallacy. Her mind's state was similar. Silent, fragmented memories lay buried within her subconscious recesses as though enshrounded by deep snowdrifts. They were there, and she was aware that they were there, but _something _prevented her from recalling them. Or perhaps she was wrong. Perhaps those memories no longer existed, and she was simply imagining the elusive psychological residue of something that once was, based on what the Genesect Pokéshifter Jean had told her.

There were some things that she could be fairly certain of. She knew that she was Naomi, an Arbok Pokéshifter. She knew what a Pokéshifter was, and she had some details – not all, but some – of the organisation known as Genmi Incorporated. She retained all of her known combat techniques and moves. And she could clearly envision a haunting scene, a memory of a memory, a nightmare of a nightmare; a forest blackening under the gluttonous destruction of merciless flames, and the face of a young man – Frinos, she remembered his name as - with dead eyes, whispering morbidly. For a reason she could not recall, the very thought of Frinos released an intense pang of guilt. The image would construct itself within her mind at sudden intervals, and she found it difficult not to dwell on it.

But everything else had been lost to the neurological ether. Not quite deleted, but not quite _there _either. And those thoughts were slowly but surely fading.

Naomi felt like punching something. She felt so confused, so frustrated, and no-one could help her, no-one could give her answers. Her problem was entirely internalised. She did have the option of asking one of the group's resident Psychic-Types for insight, but she was reluctant to do so because a) she didn't want another Pokeshifter looking in on her private thoughts and memories, and b) her sense of pride encouraged her to solve the issue for herself without anyone else's input.

Jean had told her everything that she had urgently needed to know. Apparently, she had fallen in battle against a Weavile Pokéshifter known as Atomica, who was now the group's captive. Lucy, the nurse, had suggested that Naomi may have suffered some sort of psychological trauma as a side-effect of her physical injuries. And the group, a bunch of renegade Pokéshifters consisting of former Genmi captives, was now heading north towards the port of Snowpoint, where they hoped to find information as to the whereabouts of the central headquarters of the corporation.

Supposedly, Naomi had once been a Genmi member, too. Her memories of those days were extremely vague and unreliable – muted acoustics and blurred images, attributed to the most obscure shards of meaning. And yet she did not openly deny it. She felt a tad frustrated that she was unable to recall the location of their HQ – but perhaps she was never told it anyway, seeing as her position in the organisation had not been, she had been told, much higher than that of a typical grunt. But if it was Genmi that had dealt her this chagrin-inducing amnesia, she was all for kicking their butts. It was the least that they deserved.

The Arbok Pokéshifter plodded along somewhere near the head of the procession, which formed a long serpentine coil atop the horizontally oscillating ravine. Jean's metallic braid was visible at the fore, a steely violet blur amongst the cascading snowflakes. Directly behind her, the two self-appointed guards Shugo and Shard walked astride, with an almost pathetic-looking Atomica between them, hunched miserably in her Vine Whip handcuffs, which tethered her to her captors. Although the Weavile Pokéshifter appeared to have been significantly degraded from her former position, Naomi was still reluctant to approach her any closer than she was currently, as though she emitted some sort of malevolent Aura. She could not consciously comprehend the reason for such apprehension, but she figured that it had something to do with her past experiences involving Atomica; a remnant of a memory that now served as an unexplained warning. When she considered _that_, she became no longer certain whether she wanted to recall her lost memories or not.

The path suddenly plummeted in a sharp, jagged drop, taking Naomi completely by surprise and wrenching her out of her thoughts and into the real world. She staggered down the icy chute, narrowly avoiding smashing her forehead into the uneven crags that lay underfoot. As the Poison-Type caught her breath, she came close to losing it once again in a misty exhale as she looked upon the scene before her.

Abruptly, as though blasted from the ground in a wooden eruption, a congregation of trees loomed in front of the Pokéshifters, only visible now that they had crested the sloping ravine. The conifers grouped furtively, their interwoven branches weighted under a clandestine shroud of snow. The darkness immured within formed a maw heading directly into the heart of the forest, which spilled down and over a diagonal slope which formed one of the outer extremeties of Mount Coronet.

Shugo eyed the evergreen foliage before him. "Hmm. Didn't Melody say something about Route 216 being just beyond a forest near the end of the ravine?"

The question appeared to have been aimed at Jean, though it was Shard who answered. "Well, she's the best scout we have. Though she might be messing with us, considering the fact that she's a Murkrow Pokéshifter and all."

"You two should try to put more faith in your comrades," Jean interjected earnestly. Clearly, she had been oblivious to the half-comedic tone of Shugo's voice. "I would not have asked Melody to scout the route ahead if I thought her unreliable."

Shard chuckled lightly, his laughter forming soft wisps of condensation in the air. "Haven't you seen her, Leader Jean? She calls herself the number-one prankster of the group. Could be because she has the Ability Prankster, but either way, she sure as Houndour isn't hiding it."

Jean shot a one-eyed bullet of golden iris over her shoulder at Shard, causing the Bisharp Pokéshifter to immediately drop his playful tone. The glance was not quite a warning, not a threat, but still wholeheartedly disapproving. It questioned: _"If you can't trust one of your colleagues on a minor scouting mission, then what _can _you trust them with?"_

Naomi almost felt like sardonically replying: "Well, I can't even trust my own fucking memories. I don't even really know what the fuck I'm doing here. Why don't you try living like that?"

The Poison-Type had no idea whether Jean was gullible or simply more understanding than the other members of her group (there was not yet an official consensus on the name, though there were those that dubbed it "Jean's Army", the "'Shifter Liberty Fighters", and even the "Bane of Genmi"). She didn't know enough about this Murkrow Pokéshifter to say – she had only seen her once (as far as she could recall). But she had heard mutterings.

Apparently, since the Arbok Pokéshifter's somewhat addled mind had rewoken, Jean had placed a new emphasis on trust within the community. Many agreed with this new approach, though were rather dissentful of the rather dogmatic way in which she would go about "enforcing" trust between the Pokéshifters. In the time Naomi had spent recuperating within Lucy's infirmary, Jean had been literally pulling apart petty disputes, lecturing the perpetrators instead of negotiating with them, and so on. Some had stated that even teasing and derogatory joking were now forbidden under "Jean's law".

Naomi did not need many memories to sense the tension that was steadily swelling like a bloated aneurysm within the group. Although she lacked an example to compare the situation to, she could still forsee that the group would eventually tear itself apart. That much was only natural, she assumed.

She supposed that perhaps she should be concerned about it. But she had issues of her own. Doubts and fears had saturated every cell of her body. Though she refused to let it show, Naomi was truly _scared_. Everything was indistinct and surreal where she felt it should be rational. She walked amongst a company of strangers, and however much she tried to convince herself of her reasons for being there, the doubts inevitably interrupted.

_Are you _sure _you can trust these guys? _

_Where's your proof that they're not just manipulating you, giving you false memories?_

_It's all well and good that you believe your place is with them, but that's just because it's easier, right?_

_They're _conditioning _you, Naomi._

_Sheesh, _the Arbok Pokéshifter thought in response to her own cognition. _Jean would _not _have wanted to hear that._

The doubts lingered, and yet Naomi continued. What else could she do, apart from tread carefully?

And that she did, quite literally. She and the rest of the group had already been warned about the hidden crevices in the snowy Mount Coronet foothills, chasms buried under years' culmulations of fragile ice and snow. As the group entered the forest, darkness closed in until Naomi's vision became grey and grainy. The poorly illuminated outlines of the trees were about the limit to the detail of what she could see. She kept her golden eyes trained on the pale ground, praying to Arceus with each footfall that the contact was not going to send her down an infinite crevice to her eventual death.

The dying light only worsened the experience.

Soon after entering the forest, the steady conglomeration of voices raised in chatter behind Naomi petered out and dissipated, lost somewhere in the silent wind. As afternoon became evening, the silence only increased in volume. Louder and louder, until all sound was drowned out by nothingness.

The forest never seemed to end, or change, for that matter. One Pokéshifter somewhere to the left of Naomi broke the silence momentarily, muttering, "I have the strangest feeling that we're going around in circles." The voice, which was a mere hushed whisper, seemed profound in the ubiquitous silence. Nobody answered him; there was no need. They were all thinking more or less the same thing.

Naomi's field of vision decreased and decreased, until anything more than six feet from her face was lost in shadow. The group kept to the projected fragments of moonlight that littered the centre of the path, beaming intermittently through chinks in the forest canopy.

Eventually the prospect of continuing became farcical. "Enough," Jean commanded, her powerful voice reverberating in an unsettling oscillation through the fragile silence. "I don't like the idea any more than you do, but we have no choice. We camp here for the night, to find our bearings again in the morning."

And that was that. Numbed Pokéshifters almost gratefully flung down their shoplifted sleeping bags and coats, huddling together to keep themselves warm. No bivouac this time; there wasn't enough visibility to even attempt trying to find the necessary materials. Piko the Houndoom Pokéshifter managed to start a crackling fire using Flamethrower and a few nearby twigs, which spat and smoked in the chill air.

Before Naomi herself could get settled, Jean's next orders intercepted that possibility. "Furrow. Alice. Urso. Naomi. You four are on watch duty tonight."

The other three Pokéshifters let out a shared groan that Naomi did not partake in, before each reluctantly moving towards their separate posts. Furrow the Furret Pokéshifter shifted, his long stripy body curling up the nearest tree until he disappeared beyond the darkened leaves. Alice did likewise, swooping upwards majestically in her Articuno form to ascend into the starless skies. Only Urso and Naomi remained in their human forms, with their feet on the ground.

Jean left the allocated Pokéshifters to their jobs with intructions to call on the next wave of lookouts in three hours' time. Naomi watched the Genesect Pokéshifter pick her way amongst the dim curled-up forms (some of which were already snoring) towards Shugo and Shard. Presumably meeting to discuss the plans for confining the captive Atomica for the night.

"Great," a deep, booming voice grumbled. "Just my luck to be stuck on this job with _you_."

The Poison-Type's head snapped around. She regarded the Ursaring Pokéshifter with a calmness that she did not feel. She forced her gaze to lock onto the one glowering brown eye that was visible beneath a ferocious eruption of chestnut hair. "Who are you meant to be? Are you another one of those idiots that I'm supposed to know?"

"You really don't remember me, huh?" Urso's voice was a feral growl, of a timbre so deep his words were slightly difficult to identify. "Wish _I _was like that. I don't want to remember what you did to me and my little brother. You didn't even treat us like _people_."

Naomi noticed viens bulging in the Normal-Type's face. Clearly the burly Ursaring Pokéshifter was struggling to contain some desire to lash out at her.

"Y'know the only reason I ain't gonna fight cha is because you saved us," he continued, his voice lowering to a light murmur but retaining its threatening tone. "Freedom isn't somethin' that should be taken lightly. But I'm _still_ waitin' on an apology from you."

Naomi turned away from him, hating the accusation in his eyes and… well, if she was honest, hating herself. _What did I even _do _to make so many people hate me? _She both wanted to know and yet didn't want to know.

"Well, you aren't, are you?" Naomi's voice was so bitter that she could taste it.

"Huh?" Urso's features momentarily relaxed in confusion. "Whadda you-"

"You aren't a person," she spat. "Neither am I. None of us are. Why should we expect to be treated like them?" Naomi still refused to face Urso. "What's one more atrocity?"

The harshness of her words silenced Urso. "Look, I really do have no fucking idea what's going on here. Whatever crap that happened between us, you should just forget about it, same as me. It doesn't _matter_. Don't you get it? Every Pokéshifter in the world is in the same shitty boat, stuck up in a pile of their own shit. Your problems… _don't matter._"

Naomi walked away brisky, frustration tensing her leg muscles. She scarpered to the other side of the "camp" before the Ursaring Pokéshifter decided to brain her there and then.

She almost muttered a "Thank you, Arceus" when he didn't follow. He… that… that _gaze_… The Arbok Pokéshifter shuddered. She had no desire to see such a glance of pure vengeful fury directed at her again. She could take it if she knew what she had done. But now, it felt like a wrongful accusation. She was no longer the same person, with those same memories. How could she take the blame for the perpetrator, the Naomi that had all but faded from existence? How could she feel so much guilt for something that she had never even been involved in?

The Poison-Type realised that the last words she had spoke had been directed inwardly, towards herself rather than Urso. She kept trying to convince herself that her loss of memory didn't matter, as though that was the only way to survive with those frustrating unknowns. From what she had gathered, perhaps she was better off that way. But in reality, she was just trying to avoid it. Avoiding the knowledge that should be her responsibility.

_I just want to start again. I want to wake up in a world where no-one hates me._

Naomi's vision dissolved in an aquatic blur. "Fuck this," she growled, rubbing at the tears furiously before they could spill over her eyelids. She collapsed in the snow, hugging her ankles tightly, clutching the stiff faux leather of the new boots that had replaced her worn, bloodied ones. She gazed unblinkingly into the darkness beyond, deciding to focus on her job as lookout in an attempt to push those frantic, resentful, furious thoughts out of her mind.

The darkness was blank, unmoving, unchanging. It didn't matter where she looked; every cubic metre appeared exactly the same as the last in that sable void. Soon, the darkness began to fluctuate, contorting into strange shapes. Colours appeared where there shouldn't have been enough light to see _anything._ Naomi's eyes flickered at every flash and every motion, but the sudden lurch of her body each time she _thought _she saw something proved pointless. She saw each esoteric movement out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned to focus on it, it disappeared as though it had never existed. A momentary hallucination. An invention of her mind to cope with the ever-congruent blandness of the scene she surveyed. She was certain… mostly certain… fairly certain… slightly certain… not certain at all.

The imagined fabrications melded seamlessly with reality until Naomi no longer knew how to tell the two apart. Was she asleep? Was her shift over yet? Were those two lights, unmistakeable as a pair of eyes, real or not?

A sudden orb appeared, levitating, pulsating brightly with ice-blue incandescence. Naomi reflexively flinched at the sight.

_Psychopath… _The word suddenly came unbidden to Naomi's mind. _Selfish…. _The hallucinary light faded, but the words continued, edged with malice that she could not understand. _Sadistic… bitch…_

The stream of slanderous abuse abruptly ebbed as a sudden and infinitely more substantial sound cut through.

The Arbok Pokéshifter bolted to her feet, frantically whipping around. She panted shakily as her eyes panned across the sleeping forms of Pokéshifters that dreamed on, oblivious to the seeming disturbance. _What was that? _she wondered. Her mind had not registered the exact sound, but she was almost sure… could have _sworn _that it had existed outside of her mind, if only for a moment.

She could see the indignant figure of Urso, pale in the moonlight, pacing back and forth as though agitated. Her fellow lookout gave no inclination that he had heard anything.

Then a smear emerged from the darkness and pounced on him, like a brushstroke of deep black sweeping across a previously painted image. Urso disappeared, erased.

_What…? _In the seconds that followed, Naomi's ears could only pick up the gushing roar of her own blood. No other sound existed. She caught movement in her right eye.

She jumped. Saw two maroon craters, floating at eye level. Matted black fur intertwined with the night, sticking up at unnatural angles. The figure, half-visible in the moonlight, pale illumination cast over a humanoid form, splitting into halves of light and dark. The Pokéshifter grinned maniacally, bringing her hands together to form a crude, fleshy gun, aimed square at Naomi's forehead. _"Pow," _she muttered in the insanity-ringed tones of Atomica Genmi.

Naomi stumbled backwards in horror as Atomica's faced morphed, colours phasing in and out, until the dead-blue face of Frinos greeted her. "Die."

And then she – he – it – they – were gone.

The Arbok Pokéshifter struggled to regain her breath and composure. She very nearly screamed when another shape came looming out of the darkness, but just managed to supress it until she could recognise the face as Shard's.

The Bisharp Pokéshifter didn't look particularly healthy. The pale, beaten look in his face could be seen even in the dim lighting. His eyes were urgently wide. Dark blood dripped from somewhere beyond his hairline and from a Slash mark halfway down his arm. His usual companion, Shugo, was nowhere to be seen.

His gaze fixed on Naomi's. "Atomica…" he gasped, slightly breathless. "She's… gone. Shugo's in a bad way. A really bad way. I-I'm not joking," he garbled, as though worried that Naomi would state otherwise. "Atomica Genmi," he stated again. "Where'd she go?"

Naomi opened her mouth to answer, but she stopped halfway. Her jaw snapped back into a grimace. She clutched her cheeks violently, her mind still full of what she had just seen, threw her head back and bayed at the moon.

* * *

The ivy-encircled, unassuming windows of number 63, Rue de Parc, betrayed no hint to the group of Pokéshifters that resided within. The double panes of glass shone almost innocently in the early afternoon sunlight as they overlooked the lush foliage of Cyllage City's central cycling park.

Leone paced back and forth in her usual restless fashion, peridot irises panning over the various athletic memorabilia displayed around the room. Golden medals hung in clusters from hooks; well-polished trophies stacked on otherwise dusty shelves amongst souvenir plushes of the Pokémon Gogoat. A bookcase was crammed almost to bursting point with various texts and literature, all of it in some way fitting into the ubiquitous Gogoat theme.

Nearly every item in the living room (with the notable exceptions of the sofa and the TV) was in some way related to the obscure past-it sport of Gogoat racing. An apparent craze in Kalos before the more recent advent of the Rhyhorn racers, it seemed the former Gogoat racers of the region still clung to their pride. Several opulently framed photographs, colours having faded somewhat with age, were nestled in various places around the room; memories made visible. The largest and most noticeable depicted a smiling young man next to his behemoth of a Grass-Type Pokémon, with her chest puffed out proudly and horns shining resplendently. Both wore matching silver medals.

"You ever gonna stop that?" Avia muttered in dissent, immediately causing the Toterra Pokéshifter to turn her gaze on the other in anger.

"I'm _thinking_," Leone growled. "Perhaps you should try it more often."

The Water-Type chortled derisively. "Please. I have more cognitive ability than you could ever hope to have." The tone was mocking as usual, but notably subdued. Avia barely met the other girl's gaze, keeping her own oceanic eyes fixed on the screen of her laptop.

Leone could hazard a guess that the laptop, in this instance, was merely a distraction from reality. Avia was, most likely, still fixated on the fact that she hadn't been able to find Hydrus and that the wayward Swampert Pokéshifter could, potentially, be almost anywhere in Kalos by now. Strangely enough, the Watortle Pokéshifter hadn't taken much of her inner frustration out on Leone, whom she had earlier blamed for Hydrus's disappearance. Aside from the odd sarky comment, she remained predominantly morose. For the first time she could remember, Leone felt genuine concern for her, though she did not show it.

She was preoccupied. They had chanced upon a safe haven and a sympathetic local Pokéshifter, true enough, but where would they go now? There was no way they could stay here forever, and that was assuming Genmi remained ignorant of this place. But _where? _North, south, east or west, it didn't matter; Leone had a growing suspicion that the world was becoming progressively more dangerous for Pokéshifters. The days of camping in Genmi's backyard were over. No permanent safety, Leone was almost convinced, was to be had anywhere.

The Torterra Pokéshifter stopped short as she sensed another person enter the room. She indentified who it was immediately. That fernlike green hair, those unfathomable pupils.

"Oh, Wyrind-san. Um… Are they all okay?" Leone posed, her words sliding rather awkwardly off her tongue.

Busharna Wyrind, the Gogoat Pokéshifter, emitted a humming noise that could've been a chuckle. "The Umbreon Pokéshifter, you mean? Well, I left him in good hands." She smiled. "My husband resumed sports therapy after he gave up Gogoat racing. It's not the kind of wound he usually has to deal with, but then he always did like a challenge. And he's got a whole heap of determination, too."

Leone didn't point out the fact that the evidence for that was all over the walls. As the Gogoat Pokéshifter moved towards the sofa, Leone found herself following, collapsing on the cushions between the other Grass-Type and Avia. The Wartortle Pokéshifter had barely reacted to Busharna's entry.

"The Lucario girl's there as well," Busharna continued. "She didn't even leave his bedside last night. What dedication! Well, _I _can certainly attest to that." Leone was unsure whether she was referring to her marriage or her previous career as a racer, or perhaps both. "The Togetic and Ludicolo were in the spare bedroom, last I saw. They seem to be entertaining each other."

A pause, long and still and flat. The Gogoat Pokéshifter leant back and closed her eyes. Her smile disintegrated from her face. "That bedroom used to be my son's…" she muttered somewhat spontaneously.

"Oh," Leone muttered, hesitating, before adding, "I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologise when you're not the one who's at fault." She sighed. "I am, and no-one else is. It's my fault that he was born a Pokéshifter in the first place, but even more than that, I…" Busharna glanced towards the ceiling, as though the lightbulb was communicating to her some sort of photonic advice. "I left him behind. I couldn't be in two places when they… when _that _organisation came. I couldn't protect both my husband _and _my son… No… I _could've _done. I just ended up making a terrible mistake." Her eyes opened, fixed on Leone's own. "Are you the one who keeps everything together in your little band?"

Leone pursed her lips. "I guess so." _Though I haven't exactly been doing a great job of it, have I?_

"Well, Leone. Whatever you do, just make sure you don't _ever _leave anyone behind. It's a sin no other Pokéshifter should ever commit."

Leone averted her gaze from Busharna. _Too late. _In doing so, her field of view centered on Avia, who was still absorbed in a parallel dimension of software and binary code. _And Hydrus was only the latest. Who else wasn't I there to save? Frinos and Haku… Luci and Flara… my own _family. _And if one mother can't save her son, then how am _I _going to keep a bunch of teenage Pokéshifters together?_

Busharna spoke before she could continue that thought. "I know it's _extremely _unlikely, and I know I'm probably a fool even for considering this, but should you ever chance to meet my son on your travels…" She paused as she fished around in the pockets of her jeans. Her hand emerged, clasped around an earthy mass of swollen beige plant matter – an object Leone identified as a Big Root. "Give him this. It used to be my own, but I no longer have much need of it. I don't tend to battle very much anyway, so I feel as though it's wasted on me. And tell him… Tell him that if he's ever able or willing to come home, he's welcome to." No tears were visible within the Gogoat Pokéshifter's eyes, though her corneas were covered with a thin film, visibly glinting in the light.

The Torterra Pokéshifter accepted the item half-heartedly. "Sure," she muttered, though there was a hidden sigh beneath the word. The scenario unfolding made her immediately think of her dead brother and the origins of her own held Miracle Seed. "How… how will I know it's him?"

The moss-haired Pokéshifter blinked. "Good question," she replied. "It_ has _been seven years since I saw him last… he would have probably changed quite a bit. He'll be seventeen, now, if he is indeed still out there. He was a Skiddo Pokéshifter, though it wouldn't be a stretch to say that he might've evolved since then into Gogoat. Green hair, dark green eyes, brown skin. His name is Vernon, Vernon Wyrind."

"Okay, thanks." Leone hurriedly stood up. "Thank you for everything, Wyri – I mean, Madame Wyrind. You've been really hospitable to us. It's… I guess this is the least I can do to repay you."

Busharna chuckled good-naturedly. "It's fine. You don't have to act so formal around me. I understand, of course. It's standard Sinnoh etiquette. But no matter – Pokéshifters in need are always welcome in my house. I promised myself I would never leave another of my kind behind again." Her tone hardened, becoming more severe. "These are dangerous times, Leone. More than ever before us Pokéshifters need to stick by each other." The lids of her deep brown pools closed as she sighed. "It doesn't matter if you never find him. If you do, I'd be grateful. But I think I'm content enough knowing I helped you young people."

Leone felt as though the acid in her stomach was solidifying. The room suddenly seemed hostile, unwelcoming; dismissive. "Th-thank you. Seriously. You've been a really big help," she stated again, more rapidly this time, before leaving the room at the quickest pace she could manage without breaking into a run.

She did not register Busharna's reply. The images firing along her optic nerve as she breezed down the hallway and out the door were completely wasted, tossed aside, ignored. Her entire consciousness was focused internally, and the surrounding world, for Leone, ceased to exist. She walked aimlessly in directions decided by her reflexes. Seventy metres down the pavement, across the road, tracing a diagonal line through the turf of the cycling park. Following the primitive impulse of escapism; fleeing from her past, her responsibility, her crushing, nauseating guilt.

It wasn't until a few minutes later, when she registered how blurry the world around her was, at the same time as feeling the warm salinated liquid dribbling down her cheek, that she realised she was crying.

For the first time, Leone looked up and genuinely took note of her surroundings. She was within a dense thicket of trees, ferns and fungi. Her teeth clenched so hard, her gums began to ache. Her frustration rising, she slammed the knuckles of one toned fist into the nearest tree trunk.

"Auaggh!"

_How did it come to this? _she mentally screamed. _Why… why am I just so _crap _at what I do? _The streams now came in floods. _I lost all my friends, and the fault can only be put on me. I can't believe how selfish I was being. I was always too focused on retaining what I still had, of safeguarding _myself… _I didn't care enough about anyone else. I really am just a newborn Torchic…_

Jagged splinters pierced Leone's jacket as she slid down the rough wall of bark, eventually settling in a clump of mouldy leaves at the tree's roots. "I… tried… I thought I was doing the right thing…" Her bleary vision refocused on the hairy tangles that constituted Busharna's Big Root. "…The _right thing _left me with _no one._… Well, not no one exactly… But no one that I can truly trust…" Her head drooped like the leaves of a starved plant. "There's no way I can go back," she muttered. "If I feel this way, then how can I expect them to trust _me_? I can't hold _anything _together. I'll only tear them apart in the end. Avia was right…" She clutched the Big Root fervently. _"No Pokéshifter should ever leave another behind."_

Silence descended on the small copse as Leone's words dissipated into the outer world. _What have I done? _And then, a few seconds later: _What do I do now?_

As detached as she felt, she was extremely reluctant to leave her group behind. She had grown up among a large family, and recalled those months she spent on her own, convinced that she was the last Pokéshifter in the world, as utter hell on earth. She had barely been able to contain her elation when she had met Frinos and Flara for the first time. Well, perhaps _elated _wasn't the right word, considering the circumstances in which they had met, but it had felt amazing nonetheless.

Could she _really_ ever become a lone Poochyena?

_I have to. Any other course of action would feel wrong. I just don't deserve it. And besides… _She leant back heavily against the wood. _Avia can hold the fort after I'm gone. She'll do a better job than me. _Anyone _could do a better job than me…_

She sat there, rolled up tightly into a foetus of melancholy and self-loathing. No more tears fell, but she felt worse with every passing second. She remained stuck between two alternatives, hesitant to leave but unwilling to turn back. She began to berate herself for being so indecisive. _Just fucking _leave _already. You know it's what you deserve. _The vicious voice came from within, but it barely sounded like Leone's own.

The Torterra Pokéshifter was about to heed it before a very different voice cut through the undergrowth; a voice containing enthusiasm and vigour that Leone could not share.

"Oh, there you are!"

Leone was on her feet, adopting a defensive stance, attempting to regain her composure after being startled. "Who –" she began, but the demand died in her throat when she realised who the speaker was.

Indigo irises flickered as Avia blinked. "Damn, girl. You're in a fucking mess, ain't ya?"

"What's it to you?" Leone growled.

"Oh, I dunno," Avia returned sardonically. "I know you like to think of me as some sort of egotistical sociopath, but I'm sorry that I have bucketfuls of compassion. I _did _come here to tell you something important, but I guess that doesn't matter now that you're out here… doing… well."

She stepped towards Leone, cautiously but confidently. "Want to talk to me about it? No, of course you don't." She shook her head, chuckling humourlessly. "Why the fuck would you ever? You see me as your _rival_. That's right, right? I'm a threat to you and your dominant, alpha-female position." She shrugged. "I don't care about all that at the moment. Neither should you. Just tell me what's wrong."

Leone met Avia's gaze, which communicated nothing other than concern. She sighed, relenting, and her defences broke down, all at once.

"I…" The tears were back again, dissolving the image of Avia before her into a distorted blur. "I don't see you as a threat… I don't… I'm… I'm _done,_" she wept. "Can't you see it? I can't go on like this. I can't be the 'alpha-female' that you all clearly think I am. I'm not up to the task." She shook her head, scattering tears. "You can take that job."

Avia's expression was beyond confused. Needless to say, she had never seen the Torterra Pokéshifter like this. "What's going on with you?"

"I realised that I'm…" Leone stopped. What would be the correct word to describe herself? Despicable? Incompetent? Foolish? Idiotic? "…a pathetic excuse for a Pokéshifter," she finally muttered.

"How do you mean?" Avia spluttered. "I mean, we all make mistakes…"

"No," Leone replied forcefully. "Not like this. Making the same mistake _three times_, with completely no regard for those who suffered as a result? I don't deserve you guys," she sobbed.

The Grass-Type almost jumped when Avia's hand clapped firmly on her shoulder. "Is this about what Wyrind said about not leaving people behind?" she asked.

"You were listening?"

The Wartortle Pokéshifter shrugged. "I can multitask. Sorta."

"Well then, I suppose you've answered your own question," Leone spat bitterly.

"I don't believe I have," Avia countered, one azure eyebrow raised expectantly.

The Torterra Pokéshifter wiped at her left eye. "What can I say? My portfolio of mistakes is practically endless. I left Frinos and Haku, my friends whom you've never met, to burn in a forest fire all because I was too concerned for my own safety. In Sandgem Town, which you'll remember, I refused to go after Luci and Flara's captor because I was too intent on getting away to Kalos, where I _believed _it would be safe. And, just yesterday, when your friend disappeared…" Her voice broke. "I'm a terrible leader. I shouldn't be in this position. If I hadn't been then maybe the entire group would still be together."

Avia exhaled without meeting Leone's gaze. "Yeah, you say that, but you're the best damn leader I've come across."

Leone blinked, uncertain of what she was hearing. "Sorry?"

The Water-Type chuckled. "That stuff with Hydrus? It was out of anyone's control. You had no idea it was going to happen, so it's definitely not your fault. I know I acted shitty at the time, but then again I always do. It's _hard _being a leader. I appreciate that. Especially when you're the youngest." She shook her head. "Jubilee and Hydrus were never up to it. And they didn't always see eye-to-eye. So I had to try and be the glue that held them together, the dipole in the molecule. It didn't always work, y'know." Her pthalo-blue gaze drifted upwards for a moment. "You can't always be right. And it sucks when you're not."

Indigo orbs bored into Leone's. "So yeah, you ain't perfect. But you're not always wrong, either. You always do what you think to be right, even if others might not agree… Y'know, I think that's what I've always liked about you. You've got real conviction, kid."

Leone frowned at the use of the word "kid"; Avia was three years younger than her. However, she didn't protest.

"But that will only get you so far, y'know? You can't hope to do everything by yourself. _I _definitely couldn't run this thing without you, so at least for my sake, don't leave now." She averted her gaze suddenly, as though embarrassed. "I'm… I'm sorry. All I ever really did was make your job harder –"

"No way," Leone interrupted. "If you hadn't been there, we'd have never got out of Sandgem Town. I underestimated you… You really do have some skill with computers."

"Well, yeah. It helped that my parents were into IT," she admitted proudly. But the moment of momentary lightness faded and passed. Avia's tone became morose. "But… that's the _only _thing I'm good at, y'know? I don't like to admit it but… it's true. You're so much more versatile than me. Older. More experienced. You don't even know how much I envy you." Her mouth formed a joyless smile.

Leone shook her head. "You _envy _me? Is that really why you're such a dick to me?"

"It's one of the reasons," Avia stated vaguely, not quite meeting the Torterra Pokéshifter's gaze. "You are an idiot though. Sometimes."

The Wartortle Pokéshifter exhaled before continuing. "Look at it like this, Leone. If you leave, then you'll only be leaving more people behind. We… we actually rely on you a lot more than you think. _Trust _me." It was only once the last syllable had flown off her lips that she met Leone's gaze.

The Grass-Type felt another tear burn a watery path through her flesh, almost scalding in its heat. If anything, it was those last two words that had hammered into her. Trust. That was what she had been missing all along, and yet she had been too close-minded to come to that simple conclusion. Until now.

"I…" The words did not exist.

The Water-Type abruptly embraced the older girl, arms wrapping firmly around her back in a structure of support. "Yeah, I know that we're different," she murmured. Avia still carried the refreshing saline scent of her native Pacifidlog Town. "Almost to an insane degree. But we've gotta put that aside. I don't know what's coming next, and… to be honest I'm kinda scared."

"The feeling is mutual," Leone muttered in response. After a slight hesitation, she returned the gesture. Her tears still fell, but that was mostly due to gravity's influence. She suddenly felt a surge of relief, an absence of pressure; a sensation that she had been lacking for so long that it felt almost alien.

"I don't think I realised this until now, but…" Avia trailed off, pausing for a moment, before continuing. "We're gonna have to work together if we want to make it through this alive. Y'know? It's… it's not as safe as it was before. I… Leone, I think we're going to have to take the fight to them."

Meadow-green eyes snapped fully open. "Is… _this _what you wanted to come and talk to me about?"

Avia pulled back slightly from the hug. "Yeah. With your permission, we're heading towards the Genmi Incorporated International Headquarters."

Leone attempted to penetrate those oceanic orbs, but she could not see any evidence of insincerity within them. "How do you-"

"Computers." Avia was now smirking. Leone could not decide if the expression was disturbing or simply irritating.

_Turns out I really did undestimate her. Shit. Why didn't I notice these things about Avia earlier? Why didn't I register the fact that most fourteen-year-olds can't reprogram and operate a ship's computer?_

"You're on board, right?" The Water-Type's tone was not demanding. She took hold of Leone's hand, gazing up at her expectantly… no, _pleadingly _was the correct adverb.

"It sounds absolutely insane." Leone gazed levelly at the Water-Type before her. "I suppose I'm in."

Avia's smirk widened to the limit of her facial muscles. "Right choice. You won't regret it, Li."

"I already do," the Torterra Pokéshifter replied. Despite the glittering carved paths of tears still shimmering on her cheeks, she laughed. "But we can't run forever. It's reckless, but… Maybe it will actually work."

Avia tossed her cobalt hair. "Oh, _come on_, Leone! A few technological tweaks here and there, a well-thought out plan and some top-notch supplies… _anything _can work. I'll show you, and you'll see."

The Grass-Type watched as Avia broke contact and sauntered off rather bouncily towards their temporary residence. Leone breathed in, breathed out, a warm rush of endorphins flowing through her body. Leone, no longer the lone leader, took a step forward.

She headed into the unknown.

* * *

**Okay, so, the announcement, in plain, simple terms, is that this story is now, for an indeterminable period of time, on hiatus.**

**I'm genuinely sorry if you've been reading this story and have been waiting patiently (or impatiently, as the case may be) for a new update, but I think it's time I take a break from this. I've written 26 chapters of this over more than 3 years (in fact you could probably round it up to 4 years), and I think what really needs to happen is that I should take a break from it, for at least 6 months, and then come back to look on it from the very beginning with fresh eyes. Although I have some idea where this story is going to end up, I would not even call that a real plan. It's barely written down; most of it is contained within my somewhat fallible memory and not at all complete or organised.**

**I've been toying with the idea of a rewrite for a while now but it seriously does need to happen. I won't list all the problems with this story, as there are MANY, but to name but a few: it has no timescale, AT ALL, the pacing is completely unrealistic and there are most likely serious continuity problems with the earlier chapters, given that I wrote them ages ago when I had no idea what I was doing with this story. Anyway, the bottom line is: it needs to be improved. But I won't be doing that for... oh, let's be realistic here. Probably something like 2 years. Hopefully, this story won't get totally abandoned because I do have some genuinely good plot points that still have yet to be written, but I won't deny that that definitely won't happen. Still, as this is the closest thing I've ever got to an actual complete novel, I probably should come back to it eventually. Even if that happens to be after I graduate from university (which will probably be in about 5-6 years' time).**

**Anyway, I hope you guys can understand me as fellow authors, and I guess I'll see you around. If and when anything changes, I will let you know with an update.**

**-Le Fez-Wearing Husky**


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